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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

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Chap.:. Copyright No.. 



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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 







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HANDBOOK 

OF THE 



SPARROWS, FINCHES 

ETC. 

OF NEW ENGLAND. 



C. J. MAYNARD. 



ILLUSTRATED. 



Newtonville 
C. J. Maynarb. 
1896. 



v\ 



" 












K^ 



Copyright 1896 

by 
C J. Maynard. 



DEDICATED 

TO THE 

SCHOOL TEACHERS OF NEW ENGLAND 

IN MEMORY 

OF THE MANY PLEASANT HOURS WHICH HAVE BEEN PASSED BY 
THE AUTHOR IN COMPANY WITH MANY OF THEM IN THE LECTURE 
ROOM, AND WITH THE BIRDS IN THE HELDS AND WOODLANDS. 



INTRODUCTION. 

My reason for -writing a book upon birds with such a limit- 
ed scope as the present, is because 1 am sure, from a some- 
what extended experience, that it is better for those beginning 
the study of ornithology to first become thorougly acquainted 
with some one group of birds, than to acquire a smattering 
knowledge of many. I have therefore selected the largest and 
in some ways the most important family of our New England 
birds, partlj, because it is the most extended, but more par- 
ticularly, because there is no season of the year, when some 
members of it are not to be found with us. 

In my walks in the fields and woods with my many pupils, 
I have found that some experience great difficulty in learn- 
ing to distinguish birds, either by sight or by hearing their 
songs. This difficulty, it appears to me, is really due to the 
fact that the observer is trying to grasp an entirely new, and 
too vast a subject without a sufficient training of eye and ear. 

This being undoubtedly the case with so many, it appears 
best to begin with a group of birds, most of which are of a 
sufficient size to be readily seen and which not only have 
prominent, characteristic markings, but which also have songs 
which are readily distinguishable. We will take as an ex- 
ample three of most closely allied species which we have, 
all belonging to one genus of small Sparrows, and all having 
the characters of a clear crown, forked tail and no streaks be- 
neath ; the Chipping, Tree and Field Sparrows. The first can 
be readily told by the black line through the eye, the second 



vi INTRODUCTION. 

by the dark, central spot on the breast, and the third, by the 
absence of both these markings. The song of the first, is a 
series of unmusical, but lively, trills that of the second a 
loud, clear chant, preceded by two separate notes, while the 
lay of the third is one of the sweetest bird songs ever heard, 
consisting of a kind of avian musical scale. All of these three 
can be distinguished by the markings given by any one who 
will take the trouble to learn them, and I have yet to see any 
one who is at all interested in birds, who cannot distinguish 
the songs after hearing them once or twice. 

It is very obvious that this simple beginning trains both 
eye and ear to observe markings which are more difficult to 
see, and to note variations in songs which is far more difficult 
to learn. 

While we can never hope to teach ornithology in our Public 
Schools as a science, it becomes necessary for the pupils to 
acquire some knowledge of birds, and this knowledge had 
better be founded upon a solid basis in a form which can be 
retained in the mind, rather than by a diffusion over a large 
area which is much more likely to be only transitory. Hence 
I have recommended the study of this single family, some 
members of which can be seen by pupils every day through- 
out the year. 

Thus a foundation will be laid which (should inclination or 
neccessity arise) cannot only be built upon in the future 
life of the pupil, but which will aid in teaching habits of 
observation, and in training of the eye and ear, which will 
prove of the utmost benefit to pupil in any vocation of life. 
I have ventured to dedicate this little book to the school 
teachers of New England, for it is to the pleasant intercourse 



INTRODUCTION. Vll 

with a large number of them, through the many ) T ears that 
it has been my privilege to give them instructions in zool- 
ogy, that it owes its existence. I have long seen most clearly 
that such a book is needed by them in the lessons which they 
are now called to give to their pupils, and 'that need I have 
now endeavored to supply. If in the writing of it I have added 
one iota to the happily growing sentiment for the protection of 
of our native birds, which has been so nobly fostered by our 
school teachers, I shall feel amply repaid. 

I have added on the following page a diagram of a bird, 
giving the names of some of the parts which are mentioned 
in this work. 



DIAGRAM AND IDEAL SECTION 
OF CHIPPING SPARROW. 

A 

External Parts. 
1, Bill ; 2, Forehead ; 3, Crown : 4, Occiput; 5, Nape; 6, 
Hind neck ; 7, Back ; 8, Wing ; 9, Upper tail coverts ; 10, Un- 
der tail coverts ; 11, Tibia; 12, Abdomen ; 13, Belley : 14, 
Breast; 15, Throat; 16, Chin ; 17, Superciliar} r region ; 18, 
Lores ; 19, Ear coverts ; 20, Maxillary ; 22 , Tarsus ; 32, Hind 
toe: 42, Front toe ; 52, Tail. 

Internal Parts, 
a, Tongue; B, Superior Larynx ; p, Inferior; c, Windpipe ; 
e, Sterno trachealis ; F. Bronchial tube ; g, g, Gullet ; H, Crop ; 
K t Stomach; J, Proventriculus ; l, Fold of duodenum, m, 
Pancreas ; o, vent ; D, ovaries ; Q, Vertebrae of neck ; R, Ver- 
tebrae of back ; s, Tail bone ; T, Heart ; N, Lungs ; v, Keel ; 
T, M, Liver. 

B 
Wing of Chipping Sparrow. 
1 , Lesser coverts ; 2, Middle coverts ; 3, Greater coverts ; 
4, Spurious wing ; 5, Primaries ; 6, Secondaries. 

c 

Bill of Cardinal Grosbeak. 
a, Upper mandible ; B , Lower mandible ; D, Nostril. 



FINCHES, SPARROWS, GROSBEAKS, ETC. 
Fringillidae. 



Family Chauacters. 

The external characters of this large and important fam- 
ily, which is largely represented throughout the world, and 
of which there are many species in our New England fauna, 
are, first, the primaries or outer quills are nine. That is, there 
are nine flight feathers growing upon the bones of the hand 
and waist. See fig. 1 where I have given a cut of the prima- 
ries of a White-throated Sparrow. 

Second, the bill is quite short and cone-shaped, while the 
cutting edge of the upper mandible is strongly angled near 
the middle, but it is not notched. See fig. 2, a, where I give 
a side view in outline of the bill of a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 
and at ib, b, a section of view of the same bill cut through 
just back of the nostrils. The form of the wings and tail 
are variable ; these differences will be noted under Generic 
Characters. 

The general form of birds of this family is quite stout and 
robust but this also varies somewmat in different genera. 

Prominent internal charcters are, first, the gullet or oesoph- 
agus is more or less dilated into a crop for the storage of food 
( see fig. 3, p). 



FAMILY CHARACTERS. 



Second, the walls of the stomach are greatly thickened and 
it is lined with a hard, mucous membrane (see fig. 3, b). 

This enlargement of the gullet into a species of crop and 
the thickening of the walls of the stomach is not, as is quite 
usual in birds so characterized, accompanied by a special elon- 
gation of the coeca, for the natural food of Sparrows etc., 
is usually the seeds of plants and trees which contain more 
Fig. 1. Fig. 2. 





Base cf primaries, With BUI of Rose-breast- 

the webs removed, of ed Grosbeak. A, side 

right wing of a White view ; i, Section at base, 

throated Sparrow. A, 
forearm, w. wrist p, pri- 
maries, il digits. T, spu- 
rious primaries. 

nutritious matter than much food eaten by the Grouse and 
allied groups, which do have the elongated coeca for retention 
of material which contains a comparatively small amount of 
nutritious matter, hence this must be retained in the intes- 
tine for a considerable length of time in order that all which 
is of benefit to the bird may be assimilated. 

The sternum, which with its accompanying bones, the cor- 
acoids, scapula and furcula (see fig. 4 ) are all subject to con- 
siderable change in varying genera. The coracoids are 
never longer than the top of the keel but are sometimes equal 



FAMILY CHARACTERS. 



to it, as in the Swamp Sparrow, they are, however, as a rule 
shorter than it. The marginal indentations (see fig. 4, m,) are 
two, and equal in depth the height ol the keel. The keel is 

Fig. 3. 




Stomach, crop etc. of English Sparrow. 
C, gullet, p, proventriculus; s, spleen ; sh, stomach ; pi, pylorus ; o, beginning of 
intestine d, duodenum: pc, pancreas; i, intestine ip, lining membrane of stomach: 
(longitudinal section: transverse section to right) w, walls of stomach in both 
Bections; oe, I, dilitation of the gullet, forming a kind of crop; co, coeca. 

variable in height, being in the Fox Sparrow about as high 
as one half the length of the coracoids (see fig.o,) but in the 
Shore Finches it is very low, not more than one-third as high 
as the length of the coracoids (see fig. 4, v). 



4 FAMILY CHARACTERS. 

As among our New England members of this family, we 
find some of the finest song birds in the world, for example, 
the Rose-breasted Grosbeak and White-throated Sparrow, we 
naturally expect, to find the muscles of the inferior larynx 
or syrinx well developed, and the accompanying muscular ap- 
paratus also well developed. This is the case, and we find all 
the six pairs of song muscles, of which I give an example in 
fig. 8, with an accompanying explanation, present, and also 
the tympaniform and semiluna vibrating membranes, also 

Fig. 4 Fig. 5 





Sternum of Fox Sparrow. 



Sternum of Shore Finch 
v, keel ; m, marginal indenta- 
tion ; f, f urcula, A, coraceid, 
i, scapula: c, costal processes. 

figured in the above mentioned cut. There is, however, some 
variation in this respect. See fig. G, where I give a cut of the 
muscular apparatus of the Evening Grosbeak with explana- 
tion of the varying parts. 

Some of our New England Sparrows, on the other hand 
are sadly deficient in song, for example, the Yellow-winged 
and Sharp-tailed Sparrows. 

Most of our New England species are migratory, but with 
some this instinct appears quite feeble, for example, the Gold 
and Purple Finches which usually remain in some parts of 



FAMILY CHARACTERS 



our limits all winter ; our summer residents of these species 
may possibly pass on south of us, and their places be sup- 
plied by others of the same species from further north- The 
Red Crossbills have, however, not only quite lost the migra- 

Fig. 6 




"Jin 

d e 

Vocal Orgtns of the Evening Grosbeak. 
b,s, B, sterno trachealis : C. B, A, bronchialis : f, g, lower tracheal ring: d, i, Y-sbapcd 
muscle: v, vibrating surface : a, os-transversale. 

ting instinct, but also that love for any particular locality 
which causes birds of most other species to return jear after 
year to the section in which they were born. They have, in 
short, become true nomads, wandering up and down the land 
seeking food where it is most abundant, and breeding at va- 



FAMILY CHARACTERS. 

rying seasons from February until August in almost any suit- 
able section which will offer sufficient food upon which to 
rear their young. 

The following, is the explanation of the musical apparatus 
of a typical Singing Percher. Birds produce sounds, not as 
with man, and moet other mammals, with the upper, or superi- 
or larynx, but with the lower or inferior larynx, situated just 
above the junction of the bronchial tubes with the trachea, or 
windpipe. ( See fig. 6, d, where a front view of a portion of 
the windpipe, lower larynx, and bronchial tube is given, also, 
fig. 8 where is given a side view of these parts in another spe- 
cies ). 

I will first give an explanation of the sound producing or- 
gans. In fig. 7, I have given a cut of a side view of a portion 
ot the windpipe, i>, with one of the bronchial tubes removed, 
leaving a cavity at V, thus exposing a small, thin, narrow 
bone, known as the transverse bone, J, which extends from 
the front to the back of the larynx, just above the junction of 
the bronchial tubes. This bone maybe also seen in fig. 6, 
a, where a transverse section of the larynx is given of another 
species. 

The transverse bone supports a small membrane, known as 
the semiluna membrane, which thus stands upright between 
the bronchial tube, just as a reed stands upright in an organ 
tube. ( see fig. 7. ) 

The trachea or windpipe is made up of bony rings which 
completely encircle this organ, but in the bronchial tubes 
these rings do not extend wholly around, but are interrupted 
to a greater or less extent on the inside of the tube, hence are 
known as the bronchial half rings. 



FAMILY CHARACTERS. 7 

Below the transverse bone, in the interspaces caused by the 
interruption of the bronchial half rings are v-shaped mem- 
branes which stretch from side to side of the ends of the half 
rings. These are known as the tympaniform membranes. 
See fig .7, c, and fig. 6, v. All the sounds which Singing 
Perchers are capable of uttering are, with a few exceptions, 
produced with these three vibrating membranes, namely one 
semiluna and two tympaniforms. 

These membranes are operated by six pairs of muscles best 
seen in fig.8. Descending the trachea we come first, to a 

Fig. 7. Fig. 8. 




Inferior larynx ot typical 
Singing P<.rcher. 

long muscle which lies on the side of the organ and which di- 
vides into two parts, one going to the front, and one to the 
back of the larynx, and adheres to either end of the transverse 
bone. This is known as the broncho trachealis and its di- 
vision as the front and back broncho trachealis. Its func- 
tion is to oscillate the transverse bone, thus producing various 
tones, as the air impelled by the lungs through either bronchial 
tube, passes along its sides, or is drawn downward from the tra- 



8 FAMILY CHARACTERS. 

chea above it into the lungs, in a similar manner to which a 
reed vibrates in an organ tube. 

All of the shriller and most varied notes are produced by 
this semiluna membrane. 

Below the division of the broncho trachealis is a long, thin 
muscle, which, emerging from this point, passes down on 
either side of the bronichal tubes to terminate on small spurs 
of the sternum which are pushed out on either side just outside 
of the junction of the coracoid bones, and which are known as 
costal processes ( see fig. 4 ; c). 

The function of the sterno tracheal muscle is to draw down- 
ward the whole larynx, thus loosening the normally tense 
tvmpaniform membranes, their vibration then ceases or be- 
comes muffled, just as the loosening of the strings on a drum 
muffles the vibration of its head. 

Below the sterno-trachealis is another divided muscle, the 
bronchialis which extends from the larynx to the upper bron- 
ichal half rings. There are also front and back bronchialis 
muscles, and to the back of the hindermost is a third division 
of this muscle knowm as the short bronchialis. The function of 
the three divisions of all the bronchialis muscles, is to con- 
tract and draw up the top bones of the bronichal tubes, thus 
rendering more tense the upper part of the tvmpaniform mem- 
branes, producing varying tones, but all of the sounds pro- 
duced by this membrane are in a minor key. ( ib. o, I, v. ) 

Thus to the adjustment of the three membranes mentioned 
by the six pairs of muscles described, is due most of the sw r eet 
songs of birds, especially in the present family. The effect 
of the double notes produced by the tympaniform and semiluna 



SILK BUNTINGS. 9 

membranes may be heard and clearly recognized in the songs 
of the Robin and White-throated Sparrow. 

There is considerable variation in the size of these mem- 
branes and in their governing muscles in the various genera 
of this family ; as a rule the divisions of the muscles are not 
as shapely defined as in the typical specimen given, which is 
that of a Crow. One of the most extreme variations in the 
larynx may be seen in the Evening Grosbeak as given under 
that species. 

Genus. SILK BUNTINGS. Spiza. 

Bill, rather thick, but not especially Finch-like. Wings, 
very long and pointed. Tail, short and not forked, but slight- 
ly emarginate. We have one species. 

Black=throated Bunting. 

Spiza Americana. 
Plate I, fig. 1 

Male. General color, ashy yellow above, tinged with 
greenish, and streaked with dusky ; chestnut on upper parts 
of wings, brown on remainder and tail. White beneath, line 
over eye and on lower jaw, middle of breast, under wing 
coverts and edge of wing, yellow. Triangular patch on throat 
and small one on back, black. 

Female. Similar, but duller, and the black of breast and 
throat not as extended. Young male similar to the female. 

Dimensions. Length, 6.75; stretch, 10.75; wing, 3.35; 
tail, 2.65 ; bill, .55 ; tarsus, .75. 



10 CHIPPING SPARROW. 

Comparisons. Quite unlike any other of our Sparrows, 
the black throat and yellowish colors being characteristic. 

Nests and Eggs. Nests placed in trees or bushes, rather 
bulky, composed of grass, leaves and rootlets. Eggs, three to 
five, oval, bluish green, unspotted, .60 by .75. Time of nest- 
ing, early June. 

General Habits. The Black-throated Bunting was a 
common species in Southern New England a half a century 
ago, but is extremely rare, even there. In Massachusetts, it 
is exceedingly rare, but has been known to breed. It should 
be looked for on the margin of fields, when it perches on 
small trees or fences, where it sits quite upright as it sings. 
Its yellowish color and black throat will serve to distinguish 
it at a distance. 

Song. Its lay is simple, consisting of about five notes, the 
first two sounding like chip-chip, being given slowly, the last 
three, chee-chee-chee, being given more rapidly. 

Genus. TRUE SPARROWS. Spizella. 
Bill rather slender. Wings longer than the tail or equal 
to it. Tail, slightly forked. Colors above reddish, streaked 
on the back. Top of head always reddish and un streaked in 
adult. No streaks below in adults. Wings slightly banded 
but there are no conspicuous white markings on the tail. 
We have three species. Sexes, similar. 

Chipping 5parrow. 

Spizella socialis , 

Plate 1, fig.2. 
Adult. Form, rather slender. Top of head chestnut 
red, black on forehead, which is divided by a narrow line ; de- 



PLATE 1. 




ti£. 1. fcl; ck-tl, rested BtmtiDf. 




Fit:. 2. Chipping Sparrow. 



CHIPPING SPARROW. 11 

cidedly ashy below. Bill, black. Back, reddish, paler than on 
the crown from which it is separated by a distinct ashy collar, 
and both collar and back are quite broadly streaked with 
dark brown. Over eye an ashy line and below this behind eye, 
a black line. Wings and tail brown, the latter, slightly white 
banded. No spots nor streaks below. 

Young similar,but with the crown and rump black streaked. 
Nestlings, are streaked below. 

Dimensions. Length, 3.45 ; stretch, 8.50 ; wing, 2.65 ; tail, 
2.35 ; bill, .38 ; tarsus, .63. 

Comparisons. Aside from the two following species, both 
of which belong to this genus, and which are compared in the 
descriptions with this, the Chipping Sparrow, is the only New 
England Sparrow which combines the clear redhead, with the 
unspotted under parts, excepting the Swamp Sparrow, but 
this is a larger bird with comparatively shorter wings, is 
white below, with an ashy band across breast. 

Nests and Eggs. The nests are compact structures, cup- 
shaped, but shallow, about three inches in diameter, composed 
outwardly of rootlets and lined with horse hair. Eggs, four 
or five in number, oval in form, bluish green in color, spot- 
ted, dotted and lined rathor sparingly, with black and lilac. 
Although I once had an unspotted set of eggs, it is usual to 
find some spots. Dimensions, .75 by .50. 

General Habits. The Chipping Sparrow is the most 
social of all our native Sparrows, frequenting orchards, often 
in the immediate vicinity of houses. Living as they do in di- 
rect association with human beings, these neat little birds be- 
come exceedingly tame, and will search for food in summer 
about our open doors, and when tempted by crumbs of bread, 
will ofte a even venture to cross the threshold. 



12 CHIPPING SPARIiOW. 

They arrive from the South about the middle of April, be- 
gin to gather material for their nests in early May. They often 
build in an apple or other fruit tree, placing the nests either 
high or low, depending upon the size of the tree. The eggs 
are deposited about June 1st, and the young make their ap- 
pearance about the middle of the month. At this time the 
Chipping Sparrows are nearly wholly insectivorous, gathering 
large numbers of canker and current worms for their own food 
and to supply their young. Thus far they are exceedingly 
beneficial to mankind, but they are not always useful, for 
they destroy quantities of honey bees for food, as I have my- 
self witnessed many times. I once found twenty or more 
nests in a single season in a small orchard, near which stood 
several bee-hives and the sparrows probably fed their young 
largely upon bees. They are sometimes called hair birds on 
account of the horse hair with which they line their nests. 

Early in September the Chipping Sparrows gather in 
large flocks in company with Field, Savannah, Vesper and 
other Sparrows, in cultivated fields in order to feed upon the 
newly ripened seeds of weeds. All depart together for the 
south in October. They remain all winter in the Southern 
States. 

Song. The lay of the Chipping Sparrow, from which it 
probably derives its name, consists of a series of rather un- 
melodious chirps, but emitted in quite a lively manner, as the 
bird sits perched in some conspicuous place, for like most 
Sparrows, it never searches for food while singing, but gives 
its exclusive attention to its musical efforts. 



TREE SPARROW. 13 

Tree Sparrow. 

Spizella monticola 
Plate II. Fig. 1. 

General coloration similar to that of the Chipping Sparrow, 
but larger, wing bars more conspicuous, little or no black and 
white on forehead, rather more rufous on back, while the ashy 
collar is less conspicuous ; beneath the ashy is tinged with 
reddish, especially on the sides, and there is a conspicuous 
dark brown spot in the middle of the breast. The base of the 
under mandible is distinctly orange. 

Dimensions. Length, 6.50; wing, 3.00; stretch, 9.50 ; tail, 
1.60; bill, .45; tarsus, .85. 

Comparisons. No other of our Sparrows have the red 
head combined with the light unstreaked under parts, with 
its single central spot. 

Nests and Eggs. Nests placed in bushes, composed of 
mud and grass, lined with fine grasses and hair. They are 
rather shallow. Eggs, four or five in number, oval in form, 
greenish in color, rather finely spotted with reddish brown, 
thus resembling those of the Field Sparrow much more than 
they do those of the Chipping Sparrow. 

General Habits. The Tree Sparrow is a spring and au- 
tumn migrant in the northern portion of New England and a 
winter resident from Massachusetts southward as far as the 
Carolinas, none having been known to breed within our lim- 
its. 

In autumn and spring the Tree Sparrows frequent shrub- 
bery along fence rows or low bushes on the borders of wood- 
lands, but in winter they are found in thick evergreen wcods 



14 FIELD SPARROW. 

or in low swamps where the undergrowth is thick. When 
with us they associate in flocks often in company with the 
Snow Birds. On pleasant days the Tree Sparrows are found 
feeding on the ground or moving rather leisurely through low 
bushes, but in stormy weather or at night they retreat to 
evergreen trees for protection against the cold. 

Song. In autumn, and sometimes during warm days in 
winter, the Tree Sparrows have a low warbling song which 
when given by a number together and heard at a little dis- 
tance, produces a confused murmur. In spring, late in March 
or in early April, they emit a loud, clear song which begins 
with two high notes, then falls to a few other lower tones and 
ends with a low but exceedingly sweet warble. Even this 
fine chant may not be the true breeding song. 

Field Sparrow. 

Spizella pusilla. 
Plate II, Fig. 2. 

About the size of the Chipping Sparrow, but redder above, 
the color of the back being nearly uniform with that of the 
crown which is several shades paler than the crown of the 
Chipping Sparrow. Beneath the color is bufiy especially on 
the breast. There is no spot here, however, as in the Tree 
Sparrow, nor is there any black on the side of the head as in 
the Chipping Sparrow. The bill is of a decided reddish brown, 
and the feet are pale reddish brown. 

Dimension. Length, 5.90 ; stretch, 8.15 ; wing, 2.55; tail, 
2.45 ; bill, .38 ; tarsus, .73. 

Comparisons. This is decidedly the reddest of all of our 
Sparrows which are unstreaked below, this rufou s tinteven 



FIELD SPARROW. 15 

pervading the bill and feet. It may be further distinguished 
by the slender form. 

Nests and Eggs. Nests usually placed in low bushes, 
often in a savin or small cedar, but occasionally on the ground. 
They are deeply cup-shaped, about three inches and a half in 
diameter, are composed of grasses and weeds somewhat loose- 
ly arranged, lined with fine grass and horse hair. Eggs, four 
or five in number rather elliptical in form, bluish white in 
color, rather finely spotted over the entire surface with red- 
dish brown and lilac. Dimensions .65 by .52. 

General Habits. The Field Sparrow comes to us from 
the Southern States where they spend the winter, from the 
middle to the last of April, and frequent the barren hillsides 
which are grown up to savins and cedars. The males may be 
found in such places perched on the topmost bough of some 
tall cedar singing, but they are shy for Sparrows, and must be 
approached with caution, for if they think the observer is be- 
coming too familiar, they will instantly dive into the recesses 
of the nearest savin. Then if dislodged from this retreat, they 
will quickly dart into a more distant cover, moving with a 
rapid eccentric flight. In autumn they leave their summer 
homes, and associate with other Sparrows in the cultivated 
fields. This species does not pass north of the White Moun- 
tains. 

Song. The lay of the Field Sparrow is to my ear, one of 
the sweetest of all bird notes. It consists of eight or ten notes 
which begin low, gradually grow louder, then become softer, 
when a series of quite distinct chirps are given and the per- 
formance ends abruptly. The entire song is given with a pe- 
culiar intonation that accords perfectly with the wilderness of 



16 WHITE-THROATED SPARROW'. 

the barren New England hill sides which the bird inhabits, 
and has much to do with its singularly pleasing effect. 

Genus. ZONE-THROATED SPARROWS. Zonotrachia. 

Bill, rather pointed. Wings, longer than the tail which is 
slightly forked, but with the outer feathers rounded. This 
genus embraces two of our largest and finest sparrows, both 
have the top of the head conspicuously marked with black 
and white. Females somewhat duller than the males. 

White=throaied Sparrow. 

Zonotrachia albicollis. 
Plate III, Fig. 1. 

Reddish brown or chestnut above, conspicuously streaked 
with dark brown. Top of head dark brown, with a central 
stripe of white. Line in front of eye bright yellow, continued 
over eye and back of it with white. Throat white, sides of 
head, breast, sides and under tail coverts, ashy brown; remain- 
ing under parts white. Edge of wing yellow r . Occasionally 
there is a dusky spot in the middle of the breast. 

Young birds, and usually females, have the yellow line on 
the sides of head less extended, and the black and white of 
the crown obscured with chestnut, and the white of the throat 
is more or less obscured w T ith dusky. Young of the year in 
autumn have the markings of the crown wholly obscured by 
dusky, chestnut and pale rufous. There are black lines at 
the base of the lower mandible, and the breast is streaked 
with dusky. Nestlings differ from the above in being finely 



PLATE III. 




hroated Sparrow. 







White-crowned Sparrow, 



WHITE-THHOATED SPARROW . 1 7 

streaked with dusky below everywhere, excepting on the ab- 
domen, and the white markings are obscured with yellowish. 

Dimensions. Length, 6.35; stretch, 9.55; wing, 3.05; 
tail, 2.85 ; bill, .48 ; tarsus, .90. 

Comparisons. Readily known in the adult stage by the 
large size, black, white and yellow markings on the head, for 
no other of our Sparrows have the head thus ornamented. 

Nests and Eggs. Nests placed on the ground, usually in 
some open spot, frequently by the roadside, they are saucer- 
shaped, composed of dried grasses and fine roots, somewhat 
compactly woven together and the structure is lined with 
horse hair and fine grass. Eggs usually four, or more rarely 
five in number, varying from oval to elliptical in form, bluish 
white in color, spotted, blotched and dotted, usually quite 
coarsely, with reddish brown, umber and lilac, these markings 
usually being distributed quite regularly over the entire sur- 
face of the eggs. 

General Habits. This beautiful Sparrow is a spring and 
autumnal migrant from Massachusetts southward, and a 
summer resident in the more northern portions of New Eng- 
land, wintering from the Middle States to Florida. When 
migrating they frequent the shrubbery on the sunny sides of 
fences and walls, also along the borders of woodlands. At 
this time they utter a sharp chirp of alarm when disturbed. 
They arrive in Massachusetts the last week in April, and 
move leisurely northward, to their breeding ground, then be- 
gin their journey in autumn, about September lingering in 
Massachusetts frequently as late as the last week in October. 



1 8 WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. 

Soxg. Often in the early days of May in Massachusetts, we 
hear the first notes of the White-throated Sparrow, but it 
is very seldom that the fine melodious song which has rendered 
this bird so famous throughout New England, is given here at 
length. To fully appreciate their musical efforts one must 
visit the evergreen forests of the north, where in the early 
mornings cf June, when the purple mist hangs over the 
mountains, where the delicate ferns, w T hich wave beside the 
brooks are sparkling with dew drops, when the freshly grown 
leaves of the overhanging foliage are showing their lovliest 
green, the melodious strains of the White-throated Sparrows 
may be heard to perfection. This lay consists of several sweet 
prolonged whistles, and is somewhat plaintive, but very pleas- 
ing. Not only do our little musicians perform through the 
cooler hours of the morning, but the sultry noon-time alsofinds 
them singing, They are more silent when the sun declines 
toward the west, but begin again in the cool of evening. 
Thus they are almost untiring in their efforts through the day 
and, as if not satisfied, will frequently burst into full song dur- 
ing the night. But when the rocky mountain tops are gleam- 
ing iu the brilliant moon-light and the silvery beams are 
finding their way through the openings in the shadowy for- 
ests, illuminating the little glades which form the homes of 
the Sparrows, they are especially musical. Then when all is 
silent, save the occasional melancholy notes of the Whip- 
poor-will or the distant hoot of some Owl, the effect pro- 
duced by this incomparable song is surpassingly beautiful. 



WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW. 1 1) 

White-crowned Sparrow. 

ZONOTRACHIA LEUCOPHRYS. 

Plate III, Fig. 2. 

Generally similar to the White-throated Sparrow, but dif- 
fers in being much grayer above ( dark reddish brown ) in all 
stages of plumage, in the absence of yellow in front of the 
eye and on the edge of wing, and in having the throat not 
conspicuously white, but tinged with grayish. 

Young and nestlings, the former in obscured plumage, and 
the latter streaked beneath, may be distinguished from sim- 
ilar plumages in the White-throated Sparrow by the grayer 

tints. 

Dimensions. Length, 7.08; stretch 10.50; wing, 3.25, 

tail, 2.35; bill, .40 : tarsus, .82. 

Comparisons. Readily distinguished from all of our Spar- 
rows by the very gray tinis to the whole surface of the body 
and by the prominent stripes of black and white of the head. 

Nests and Eggs. Nests placed on the ground in a clump 
of bushes, composed of grass and weeds, lined with fine grass. 
Eggs, usually four in number, oval in form, thickly spotted 
and dotted over the entire surface with reddish brown, often 
so thickly on the large end as to completely obscure the 
ground color. 

General Habits. The White-crowned Sparrow is a spring 
and fall migrant in New England, and although considered 
quite rare in Massachusetts, some may be seen every season. 
Like the White-throats, while migrating they frequent thick- 



20 LARK FINCH. 

ets by the roadside, and along fence rows, where they may be 
at once distinguished by their very gray colors. 

In spring they are to be found in Massachusetts in May, 
and again in October and possibly later, as 1 have found them 
at Albany, Maine, during the month mentioned. They breed 
quite north of New England, from Labrador northward, and 
winter in the Southern States. 

Song. Is quite unlike that of the White-throated Sparrow, 
being lively and clear, not unlike that of the Vesper Sparrow. 

Genus. PRAIRIE SPARROWS. Chondestes. 
Bill, quite pointed. Wings, shorter than the tail which is 
rounded and conspicuously marked with white. See plate V. 
No streakings below in adult plumage. Sexes similar. 

Lark Finch. 
Chondestes grammactjs. 
Plate IV, Fig.l. 
Yellowish brown above, streaked with dark brown. Top of 
head, reddish brown with a lighter central stripe which is 
white on the forehead then buff, line over eye buff, becoming 
white at base of bill. Spot below eye white, beneath which,is 
a black spot. Ear coverts, chestnut, encircled below and be- 
hind by white, beneath which is a black line. White, be- 
neath, becoming yellowish brown on the sides, and with a 
distinct black spot on the breast. Wings and tail brown the 
former branded and edged with reddish and buff; the latter, 
tipped on all but central feather with white, but more broadly 
on the outer feathers, the outer web of outermost, being 
white at the base. 



PLATE IV. 




Fig. 1. Lark Finch. 




Fig. 2. Sharp-tailed Sparrow. 



LARK FINCH. 21 

Dimensions. Length, 6.50; Stretch, 10.95 ; wing, 2.95; 
tail, 2.85 ; bill .55 ; tarsus, .72. 

Comparisons. We have no other Sparrow in which the 
head markings are so complicated as in this species, the promi- 
nent chestnut buff and white markings will serve to distinguish 
the species, and these combined with the white under parts 
with the single spot on the breast, and the conspicuous white 
tippings to the tail render the species even more noticable. 

Nests and E-3G3. Nests placed on the ground, cup-shaped 
and composed of coarse grasses ami lined with finer grasses. 
Eggs, four to six in number, rather round in form, white in 
color, marked with faint spots of lilac, lined and blotched with 
umber and brown. These lines are the most prominent, are 
irregular in width, and are arranged in a similar manner to 
those on the eggs of Orioles an 1 Blackbirds, to which they 
bear a much closer resemblance than they do to those of other 
Sparrows and Finches. 

General Habits. The beautiful Lark Finch is, I am sorry 
to have to record, merely an accidental visitor to New England, 
for although apparently spreading slowly eastward, the species 
is, as a rule, confined to the region west of Ohio. 

A specimen w r as taken at Gloucester in 1845, one at New- 
ton ville, November 24, 1877, one at Magnolia, August 27, 
1879, and one was seen at Framingham twice in April, 1883. 
These are the only New England records. 

It appears to be abundant in the west, being a ground living 
species and a frequenter of hedge rows and thickets. 

Song. Its lay consists of a succession of clear liquid notes 
freely interspersed w T i:h trills, the whole forming a chant which 
is scarcely to be rivaled by any of our native songsters. 



22 SHARP-TAILED SPARROW. 

Genus. SPARROWS. Ammodramus. 
Bill, slender, not thick, nor swollen at base. Upper 
mandible somewhat curved. Wings, longer than the tail, 
which is considerably rounded and with the feathers sharp- 
ened at their tips. These are quite slender Sparrows, which 
inhabit the grassy salt marshes of our coast. The sexes 
are similar. 

Sharp-taiied Sparrow. 

Ammodramus caudicutus. 
Plate IV, Fig. 2. 

General color deep buff. Top of head yellowish brown, 
with a central stripe of ashy. Back, streaked with yellowish 
brown. Wings and tail brown, with the feathers edged with 
buffy. Edge of wing yellow. The buff below is darkest across 
breast and on sides, where it is streaked with brown. Re- 
maining lower parts, white. Young birds and nestlings, 
aside from being more buffy do not differ greatly from adults. 

Dimensions. Length, 5.50 ; stretch, 7.70 ; wing, 2.55 ; 
tail, 1 77 ; bill. 47 ; tarsus, .77. 

Comparisons. This is without doubt the most buffy of all 
of our Sparrows, no other species having this peculiar color- 
ation anywhere near as extended, excepting the Yellow-wing 
and Henslow's which are, however, shorter, thicker birds with 
the back marked with reddish. The slender form and bill 
and pointed tail feathers will also serve to distinguish this 
species. For comparisons with the two following sub-species 
see descriptions of these. 



SHARP-TAILED SPABROW. 23 

Nests a^d Eggs. Nests placed on the ground in salt 
marshes. They are composed of grass, somewhat loosely 
arranged and are lined with fine grasses. They are usually 
placed in concealment under the dried, overhanging grass of 
the previous year, and the birds frequently gain access to 
ihem through tunnels, two or three feet in length. Eggs, 
four or five in number, rather elliptical in form, pale blue in 
color, marked profusely over the entire surface with fine dots 
and spots of reddish brown. Dimensions, .76 by .56. 

General Habits. The Sharp-tailed Sparrows occur on 
many of our salt marshes in spring and fall as far north at 
least as Rye Beach, New Hampshire, finding shelter among 
the tall sedges which border the creeks, but in summer they 
gather in the more boggy portions that are covered with a 
short, wiry grass, which as it grows very thickly, accumulates 
year after year, until a perfect mat is formed in which the 
birds place their nests. 

The eggs are laid from the first week in June until the 
middle of July, each individual female probably depositing 
two sets, and the young may be found with their parents in 
August, at which time all may be seen running about on 
the mud of the creeks in search of small mollusks, or other 
aquatic animals left by the falling tide, but when the creeks 
are full, they may be seen perched on the tops of the tall 
sedges. 

All of the Fringilline birds are more or less agile, but none 
of them move more quickly on the ground than members of 
this genus. The Sharp tailed Sparrows are particularly 
noticable in this respect, as they are perfect acrobats among 
birds when among the sedge, now clinging to a slender sway- 



24 nelson's sparrow. 

ing top which scarcely bears their weight, then hanging head 
downward in order to reach some insect, after which they will 
drop to the ground and make their way with surprising ra- 
pidity to some other point. When surprised they will rise a 
short distance above the grass, fly a few yards, and then dart 
into some place of concealment from which it is difficult to 
make them rise a second time. 

The Sharp-tailed Sparrows arrive from the South late in 
April and remain until about the middle of October, when 
they retreat southward and enter the marshes of the Carolinas 
and Georgia, where they are exceedingly abundant all winter. 

Song. During the breeding season, the males give what is 
certainly the feeblest approach to a song that any of the fam- 
ily attempt. This is given when the bird is hovering in air a 
few feet over the surface of the ground, and is so low as to be 
indistinguishable when the wind is blowing, even if the bird 
be only twenty yards away ; but on still days a sputter- 
ing, husky warble may be heard, which continues a moment 
only, then at its termination the bird drops as if shot into the 
grass and does not rise again to repeat this rude lay until after 
a considerable interval. 

Nelson's Sharp=ta!ied Sparrow. 

Ammodramus caudicutus nelsoni. 
Similar to the Sharp-tailed Sparrow, but differs in being 
smaller, with a shorter, more slender bill, with the colors 
brighter and more varied. The buff of the head and other 
parts deeper. The light edges of the back feathers are lighter 
an! the stripes beneath are finer and less numerous. 



PLATE V. 



Outline cf eLtl of tails. 





A, Black-throated Bunting. 
B, Chippii gSparrow. 



A, Ipswich Sparrow. 

B, Fnow Bunting. 





a, I-ed Crossbill, 
h, Fox Sparrow, 



, White crowned, 

, Yellow wing, c, Shaip-tailed 

Sparrows. 



SEASIDE SPARROW. 25 

General Habits. The summer home of this sub-species 
is in the interior of North America, but it is a rather regular 
autumnal visitor with us, arriving about the first of October 
and remaining until about the middle of the month. They do 
not appear to differ in habit from the Sharp-tailed Sparrow. 
It has not yet been found in New England in spring. 

Acadian Sharp-tailed Sparrow. 
Ammodramus caudicutus acadicus. 

Intermediate in size between the Sharp-tailed and Nelson's 
Sparrow ; somewhat similar to the former above m coloration, 
but paler and grayer. Beneath, the markings are few as in 
Nelson's Sparrow, but are broader and paler. 

General Habits This sub-species is a common migrant 
along the salt marshes of our coast during the last week in 
May and the first week in June, and from the first week of 
September, to the first week in November. 

Its summer home is the sea borders of the British Provinces 
south of the mouth of the St. Lawrence. In habit, while migra- 
ting, these birds cannot be distinguished from the Sharp-tailed 
Sparrow. 

Seaside Sparrow. 

Ammodramus maritimus. 

Plate VI, Fig. 1. 

Larger than the Sharp-tailed Sparrow, and not at all buffy. 
but very gray. 

On the top of the head are two stripes of olive brown. Stripe 
at base of bill yellow, but this becomes white over the eve. 



26 SEA-SIDE SPARROW. 

There is a dusky spot back of the ear coverts. Back, streaked 
somewhat broadly with brown, wings and tail brown, with 
the feathers edged with ashy brown. Edge of wing, yellow. 
Beneath, ashy white, with a darker ashy band across the 
breast and ashy along the sides, both streaked with darker. 

Young birds are more or less buffy below, but with broad 
gray stripes. 

Dimensions. Length, 5.50; stretch, 8.25; wing, 2.50; 
tail, 2.10 ; bill, .60; tarsus, .80. 

Comparisons. This is the grayest of all of our New Eng- 
land Sparrows, and is thus easily distinguishable. It is also 
larger and stouter than the Sharp-tailed Sparrow. 

Nests and Eggs. Nests, placed on the ground or near it 
in the grass. They are gourd-shaped, with a contracted en- 
trance on top ; partly covered, having the entrance on one 
side, or cup-shaped and open. Eggs, four, five, or even 
six in number, rather elliptical in form, dull white in color, 
spotted and dotted quite finely with reddish-brown and sepia. 
Dimensions, .80 by .58. 

General Habits. This is an abundant summer resident 
of the salt marshes of southern Connecticut, and a few strag- 
glers have been found in Massachusetts. In the winter they 
congregate in vast numbers in the marshes of the Carolinas 
and Georgia. Here every square acre holds its thousands, 
and every mile its hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of 
these little gray birds. At first one is not aware that there 
are so many, for they remain concealed most of the time but 
during the highest tides, they are forced to retreat before 
the advancing flood until they are obliged to perch upon the 
tops of the swaying grass, where they crouch, patiently await- 



PLATE VI. 




Fig. 1. Sea-side Sparrow. 




JfiZ. 2 Yellow-winged Sparrow. 



YELLOW-WINGED SPARROW. 27 

ing the subsiding of the waters, when they again seek their 
fastnesses and run about on the mud in search of small mol- 
lusks and aquatic insects which form their principal food. 

Song. Both the Sharp-tailed and Sea-side Sparrows utter 
a sharp chirp of alarm in winter and the present species utters 
a low twittering song when hovering in air a few feet above 
the grass. This lay is louder and more musical than that 
given by the Sharp-tailed Sparrow. 

Genus. YELLOW-SHOULDERED SPARROWS. 

COTURMCULUS. 

Bill, short and thick, considerably swollen at the base. 
Upper mandible but little curved. Wings, much longer than 
the tail which is a little rounded and with the feathers sharp- 
ened terminally. Colors, light buffy and white below, reddish 
and buff above, or greenish and buff. Edge of wing, yellow. 
No prominent white markings on the tail. Sexes similar. 
We have two species. 

Yellow-winged Sparrow. 

COTURNICULUS PASSERINUS. 

Plate VI, Fig. 2. 

Form stout. General coloration buffy; beneath, unstreaked 
(in adults ) and reddish above. Top of head brown, with a 
central stripe of buff. Back ashy, streaked with reddish and 
brown, the former color predominating. Wings and tail brown 
edged with whitish and reddish buff. Line from bill to back 
of eye, orange, when it becomes buff. Sides of head, throat, 
breast and sides buff. Remainder of under parts white, tinged 



28 YELLOW-WINGED SPARROW. 

with buff. Bill and feet pale brown. Edge of wing gamboge. 
Young. Similar to the adult, but more reddish above, and 
the tail shows indications of dark brown bars, and there are 
dusky streakings on the sides. Nestlings show no traces of 
chestnut nor reddish above ; there are indications of whitish 
wing bars, and the edge of wing is only tinged with yellow ; 
there is but little buff below, but the throat, breast and sides 
are streaked with dark brown. 

Dimensions. Length, 5.15; stretch, 8.00; wing, 2.50; 
tail, 1.70 ; bill, .50 ; tarsus, .72. 

Comparisons. Easily distinguished from lienslow's Spar- 
row by the absence of streaks beneath in the adult stage, and 
by the slender form and large size in the nestling stage, and 
from all other Sparrows by the buff under surface and reddish 
markings above. 

Nests and Eggs. Nests placed on the ground, composed 
of grass loosely arranged into a saucer-shaped structure, 
lined with fine grasses. Eggs four or five in number, rather 
oval in form > white in color, spotted and blotched with reddish 
brown and lilac, rather more thickly on the larger end. Di- 
mensions, .78 by .60. 

General Habits. The Yellow-winged Sparrow is an 
abundant summer resident in Connecticut, on Nantucket and 
about Springfield, Massachusetts, and is locally common in 
Eastern Massachusetts, occurring here in dry sandy regions, 
thus they are fairly common about Wayland and Sudbury 
and in some places in Dedham. 

The Yellow-wings are true ground loving Sparrows, and 
are seldom found far out of the grass. They run nimbly about 
on the ground, but can be readily recognized by the stout form 
and general light tints. They winter in the Southern States. 



HENSLOW's SPARROW. 29 

Song. The lay of the Yellow-winged Sparrow is given 
when the birds are perched on some slight elevation, often a 
small shrub only a few feet from the ground, or at best a fence 
post, while the ruffled feathers, bowed head, and wide-spread 
tail indicates that they are doing their utmost to bring forth 
a melodious carol. In spite of all these vigorous efforts, how- 
ever, the sounds produced are so low that they are quite in- 
audible a few rods distant, and more nearly resemble the 
stridulations of a grasshopper than the song of a bird. On 
account of this singular lay, the birds have recently been called 
Grasshopper Sparrows. The birds sing constantly during 
the breeding season, even sounding their uncouth song during 
the heat of noontime. In addition to these notes, they give a 
series of chattering, scolding sounds when annoyed. 

Henslow's Sparrow. 

COTUBNICULUS HENSLOWI. 

Plate VII, Fig. 1. 

Form slender. Tail feathers very sharply pointed. General 
coloration greenish buff, streaked beneath. Head greenish 
buff, with two lines on top of head, and some lines on the back, 
line back of eye, and broken maxillary line, black. Back, dark 
brown, with the feathers edged with chestnut, which in turn 
are edged with whitish. Wings and tail brown, edged with 
greenish. Beneath, buffy white, tinged across breast and sides 
with greenish buff, and these parts are streaked with black. 
Bend of wing yellowish. 

Nestlings are generally similar, but singularly, are without 
streakinss. 



30 HENSLOW'S SPARROW. 

Dimensions. Length, 5.25; stretch, 7.12; wing, 2.17; 
tail, 2.15 ; bill, .48 ; tarsus, .70. 

Comparisons. Distinguished at once by the slender form, 
greenish buff colors of the head and upper parts combined with 
the light, but streaked under parts. 

Nests and Eggs. Nests placed on the ground, composed of 
grass and weeds and is lined with fine grass. Eggs four or five 
in number, oval in shape, white in color, rather sparingly spot- 
ted and blotched with reddish brown and lilac, the spots, 
being usually more numerous about the large end than else- 
where. Dimensions, .75 by .50. 

General Habits. Henslow's Sparrow is common as a sum- 
mer resident in some portions of Eastern Massachusetts/ not- 
ably at Tyngsboro ; it is also quite numerous in some portions 
of Worcester County and near Amherst ; also a few occur in 
Burkshire County. 

It has also been found in north eastern Connecticut, at 
Webster, New Hampshire, and at Pownal, in southern Ver- 
mont. They winter in northern Florida. I have said that the 
Yellow-wings are ground loving Sparrows, and this is most 
emphatically true of Henslow's Sparrows. They are seldom 
seen at any great elevation above the surface ; even the males 
when singing, frequently do not emerge from the grass, and 
at best merely perch upon some low shrub or fence rail. 

They are very expert in running through grass and weeds 
making their way among the herbage with nearly as much 
agility as do mice, and when started fly a few yards, their 
movements, being very rapid and eccentric. They arrive 
from the south early in May and depart late in October. 



PLATE VII. 




. Hensiow's Sparrow, 




avannah 8parrow. 



SAVANNAH SPARROW. 31 

Song. The alarm note is not dissimilar to that of the Yel- 
low-wing, being a sharp chirp. The song is, however, some- 
what different, this is like the syllables " see wick," the first, 
being dwelt upon, the second, given quickly and both are ut- 
tered in a shrill, grasshopper-like tone and somewhat louder 
than the lay of the Yellow-wing. 

Genus. GRASS SPARROWS. Paeserculub. 
Bill, rather pointed, proportionately smaller than in the 
last genus. Wings longer than the slightly forked tail. 
Tertiaries, longer than the secondaries. Both of our species 
have a yellow line over the eyes and are streaked below. 
Sexes similar. No prominent white markings on the tail. 
Edge of wings white. 

Savannah Sparrow. 

Passerculus savanna. 
Plate VII, Fig. 2. 

Rather short, but not very stout in form. Central tail 
feathers not very pointed. Tertiaries nearly as long as the 
the primaries. General coloration, brown above, streaked 
with lighter. White beneath, streaked with brown. There 
is a yellow line over the eye which becomes whiter below the 
eye, and which runs down the neck. Top of head with a me- 
dium stripe of buffy and the streakings on the back are buffy, 
and reddish. The white beneath is tinged with buffy on breast 
and sides, and the dark brown streakings are edged with red- 
dish. Edge of wing white. The streakings sometimes form 
a central spot on the breast. 



82 SAVANNAH SPARROW. 

Young and winter birds show little yellow over the eye, and 
the colors above are more rufous. Nestlings have no indica- 
tions whatever of the yellow line over the eye, and are slight- 
ly tinged with yellowish below, w^here they are more finely 
streaked. 

Dimensions. Length, 5.75; stretch, 9.45; wing, 2.75; 
tail, 1.90; bill, .45 ; tarsus, .82. 

Comparisons. This is, excepting the following species, 
the only decidedly brown Sparrow, streaked below T , within our 
limits w^hich has yellow over the eye, this being readily dis- 
tinguishable at a considerable distance. From the closely 
allied Ipswich Sparrow, this is known by the smaller size 
darker colors, while the central tail feathers are not especially 
pointed. 

Nests and Eggs. Nests placed on the ground in open 
fields and marshes or on sand-hills of the coast, composed of 
coarse grass loosely arranged into a shallow cup-shaped struct- 
ure, lined with grasses. Kiev are about three and a half inches 
in diameter. Eggs, four or fine in number, oval in form, bluish 
wdiite in color, thickly blotched, and some portions nearly 
covered, with reddish brown. Occasionally, there are distinct 
marks of umber, and more rarely lines of the same color. 
Dimensions, .85 by .62. 

General Habits. The Savannah Sparrows are also ground 
loving species, but not to so great a degree as are the Yellow- 
winged and Henslow's, for it is not unusual to find them 
perched in bushes or even in trees. This is especially true 
when the birds are migrating- Although common all over 
New England wherever the land is cultivated, they are rather 
more abundant on the sea shore, especially during the breeding 



ipswicn sparrow. 33 

season and in spring and autumn fairly swarm on the marshes 
of the coast, being common at least as far north as the Mag- 
dalen Islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. 

In spring they may be found in hedges and thickets in the 
neighborhood of grassy fields, and in autumn congregate with 
other Sparrows in weedy places in great numbers. They 
winter throughout the southern States and a few occur on the 
Bahamas. 

They arrive from the south about the middle of April, lay 
one litter of eggs in June, and a second in July, at least in 
Massachusetts, but on the Magdalen Islands probably one 
only is deposited. They migrate southward with other Spar- 
rows early in November. 

Song. In musical powers the Savannah Sparrows are 
somewhat superior to the Yellow-wings and Henslow's, yet 
the song resembles that of the Yellow-wing. It begins with a 
rather drawly " chip chir " then comes a grasshopper-like 
series of " chees " and the lay terminates with a rather mu- 
sical warble. 

Ipswich Sparrow. 

Passerculus princeps. 
Plate VIII, Fig. 1. 

Larger than the Savannah Sparrow and much paler in col- 
or above, the light tintings predominating. Below, the streak- 
ings are pale reddish brown, not dark brown as in the Sa- 
vannah. The tertiaries are not as long, and the tail feathers, 
especially the two central, are sharper. Yellow over the eye 
as in the Savannah. 



34 IPSWICH SPARBOW. 

Dimension. Length, 6.25 ; stretch, 11.00; wing, 3.28 ; 
tail, 2.50 ; bill, 48 ; tarsus, .95. 

Comparisons. This is the palest of all our Sparrows with- 
out exception, and these very light tints, combined with the 
3 r ellow over the eye, will serve to distinguish the bird in 
spring, while in autumn, the pale tints above will be suf- 
ficient. In general coloration above this Sparrow resem- 
bles the Vesper Sparrow, but differs in the abcence of any 
white on the tail,while beneath, the Vesper Sparrow has more 
distinct spottings, but they are not as numerous as in the Ip- 
swich Sparrow. 

Nests and Eggs. Nests placed on the ground and are 
quite similar to those of the Savannah, while the eggs are also 
similar, but are larger on the average. 

General Habits. This is chiefly a migrant along our New 
England coast, a few occurring as early as the middle of Octo- 
ber, but the main flight does not reach us until the last week 
of the month and then the birds continue common until about 
the middle of November. A few remain north of Boston as 
late as the first week in December, and some spend the win- 
ter on Cape Cod, but by far the greater number pass the cold 
season on Long Island, the coast of New Jersey, and on 
Cobb's Island, off the coast of Virginia, while two specimens 
have been taken in Georgia. 

They breed on Sable Island only, and while with us, fre- 
quent the sea coast, usually living in the beach grass on the 
sand-hills which skirt the shore. I once obtained a speci- 
men in April 4th, 1874, at Ipswich, Massachusetts, which 
was perched on an apple tree about a mile inland, this, and 



BAY WINGED SPARROW. 35 

one taken later at Fresh Pond, Cambridge, are the only speci- 
mens which I have ever known to be found off the sandhills. 

The Ipswich Sparrows, behave much as do the Savannahs, 
but are rather more shy while with us, rising at a longer dis- 
tance away, and moving with a rapid zig-zag flight, ; t _ will soon 
dart into the nearest cover. 

The first specimen of this Sparrow was obtained on Decem- 
ber 4th, 1868, at Ipswich. At that time it was extremely 
rare, but has since grown gradually more and more common 
until it has become a fairly abundant species. Such, being 
the facts regarding the history of this fine Sparrow, I do not 
hesitate to affirm that I am thoroughly convinced that it offers a 
practical example of the evolution of a species almost, if not 
quite, within our time, its ancestor being the common Savan- 
nah Sparrow, some form of which, (and this species appears to 
be quite plastic) wandering to Sable Island, became through 
adaptation to changed environment, gradually transformed, with 
successive generations, to the present Ipswich Sparrow. 

Song. The alarm note of this species does not differ from 
that of the Savannah, but I have never heard the song, and 
doubt if it ever sings off its breeding ground. 

Genus. BAY- WINGED SPARROWS. Poocaetes. 
Bill and general form much as in the last genus, the terti- 
aries are longer than the secondaries, but the wings and tail are 
proportionately longer, while the feet are much smaller. The 
shoulders are distinctly marked with bay (reddish brown), 
and there are prominent white markings on the outer tail 



S6 VESPER SPARROW. 

feathers. There are no distinct wing bars. We have one 
species only. 



Vesper Sparrow. 

POOCAETES GRAMINEUS. 

Hate VIII, Fig. 2. 

General coloration, buffy gray, with the outer tail feathers 
distinctly marked with white. Above, buffy gray, thickly 
streaked with dark brown. There is a whitish line over the 
eye. Beneath, whitish, tinged with buff, rather sparingly 
marked across breast and sides with quite narrow brown lines. 
The outer webs of the two outer tail feathers are usually white 
and there is a large spot on the inner webs of these and a small- 
er one on the next two. Shoulders, reddish brown. Young, 
are more yellow above and below, and the white of the tail is 
confined to the three outer feathers and the reddish of shoul- 
ders is streaked with gray. Nestlings are finely streaked 
with dusky everywhere excepting, on the abdomen. 

Dimensions. Length, 6.29 ; stretch, 10. 64 ; wing, 3.22 ; 
tail, 2.42 ; bill, .85 ; tarsus, .55. 

Comparisons. We have no other Sparrow which is streaked 
above and below, that has the outer tail feathers marked with 
white. This is very apparent as the bird flies, especially if it 
be moving away from the observer. 

Nests and Eggs. Nests placed m a depression on the 
ground. They are very slight structures, composed of dried 
grass loosely arranged and are about three inches in diameter. 
Eggs, four or five in number, oval in form, ashy white in 



36 

fee 

sp 



PLATE Vlllr 




P arrow, 




VESPER SPAR] tOW. 37 

color, spotted, blotched, and lined with black, brown, and um- 
ber. The lines are irregular in form, and are always present, 
but the number varies from one or two to several. These, 
and the ashy white color will serve to distinguish the eggs of 
this species from all others. Dimensions, .75 hy .58. 

General Habits. The Vesper Sparrows are among the 
earliest arrivals from the south, often being found by the mid- 
dle of March, when the snow still lingers in the valleys and 
woodlands. They scatter all over New England, breeding 
in grassy fields, but are particularly fond of pastures or fields 
in which grain has been cut the previous year, and the female 
will frequently build her nest there, often choosing an open spot 
which is quite destitute of herbage, evidently, trusting to her 
color, which is quite like that of the surrounding dried earth 
for concealment. When disturbed, the female runs from the 
nest, spreads her wings and feigns lameness. I have frequently 
seen dogs and even children, completely deceived by this ruse 
and instead of looking for the nest give chase, while the 
bird, after succeeding in inducing them to follow her for 
some distance from the nest, would rise and fly away. 

The first litter of eggs is deposited early in May and a sec- 
ond is laid late in June. In autumn, the birds congregate with 
other Sparrows in weedy fields, and although a greater portion 
pass south of our limits, some stragglers remain with us all 
winter, even as far north as Massachusetts. 

Song. The lay of the Vesper Sparrow is quite pleasing 
and is given as the bird perches in some elevated situation. 
It begins with a warbling chant and ends with a few detatched 
notes. 



38 LAPLAND LONGSPUR. 

Genus. LONGSPURS. Calcakius. 

Bill, slender, longer than high at base. Upper mandible 
slightly curved. Wings long and pointed, but not reaching 
beyond the middle of the tail when folded. Tail, rather deep- 
ly, forked. Hind toe nail longer than its toe. Colors, black, 
brown, white and buff. We have one species as a common mi- 
grant and one straggler. ( See Appendix ) . 

Lapland Longspur. 

Calcarius lapponicus. 
Plate X, Fig. 1. 

Rather slender birds with quite long pointed wings, black 
throats and breasts , with prominent white spots on the two 
outer tail feathers. Above, dark brown, with the feathers 
edged with buffy and chestnut. There is a distinct chestnut 
collar on the back of neck. Beneath, buffy white, with throat 
back and spots on sides black (in winter this is somewhat ob- 
scured with whitish ) . Sides tinged with reddish. Bill, 
deep red ; feet black. The female is duller, and often lacks en- 
tirely the black throat and breast, this being replaced by buffy, 
and the chestnut collar is also replaced by buffy. 

Dimensions. Length, 6.10; stretch, 10.55 ; wing, 3.35; 
tail, 2.50 ; bill, .45 ; tarsus, .85. 

Comparisons. We have no other member of the family 
which combines the black throat and breast with the white 
markings on the tail, as seen in the adult male of this species. 
Females may be recognized by the long, pointed wings and 
white on the tail. 



LAPLAND LONGSPUR. 39 

Nests and Eggs. Nests, placed on the ground, composed 
of coarse grass and weeds, arranged in a shallow cup-like form 
and often lined with feathers. Eggs, four or five in number, 
oval in form, greenish in color, spotted and blotched, often so 
thickly as to nearly obscure the ground color, with reddish 
brown, sometimes occasionally some specimens will be marked 
with zig-zag lines of dark brown. The thick, coarse markings 
are characteristic. Dimensions, .65 by .90. 

General Habits. As a rule the Lapland Longspurs are 
late autumnal migrants in New England, making their appear- 
ance in Massachusetts about the first of November, generally 
with the Shore Larks, but some specimens arrive earlier, 
and are then unaccompanied by other species. I once ob- 
tained a single straggler at Ipswich in April. They fre- 
quent the barren, wind-swept hills of the coast, where they 
may be found in company with the Shore Larks, running 
nimbly about on the ground or searching for food along the 
shore. 

Their stay with us is short, however, for by the first of De- 
cember they are off for the interior of the country where they 
remain a comparatively short time, for by the first of March 
they begin their journey northward, reaching their breeding 
ground in the Arctic Regions in May. 

Thus in the Lapland Longspur we find an example of a 
species, many of which perform circulatory migration, first 
southward and eastward, then westward, then northward. The 
eggs are laid late in May or June. 

Song. All the sounds given by the Lapland Longspur when 
with us is a sharp chirp of alarm. But in its summer home, 
in the Arctic Regions, it has a fine song. This lay is given 



40 SNOW BUNTING. 

as the bird flies upward from the ground to the height of ten 
or fifteen yards, then it raises its wings and drops slowly 
to the ground, uttering a tinkling, jingling melody which re- 
calls somewhat the rollicking song of the Bobolink. 

Genus. SNOW BUNTINGS Plectrophenax. 
Bill, a little longer than high at base. Wings, long and 
pointed, reaching when closed beyond the middle of the tail, 
which is slightly rounded and a little emarginate. Hind toe 
nail long as in the last genus. Colors in summer black and 
white, somewhat obscured with reddish in winter. We have 
a single species. 

Snow Bunting. 

Plectrophenax nivalis. 
Plate IX, Fig. 1. 

Rather plump birds, with long, pointed wings. Colors, 
mainly black and white. Adult in summer, white, with back, 
tertiaries, outer central tail feathers and spots on outer webs 
of the others, black. Female, similar, but with the colors ob- 
scured with rusty and whitish. In winter the black is ob- 
scured with whitish and rusty, and the white above with 
rusty, and there is a more or less distinct collar of rusty on 
neck in front. Bill, yellow ; feet black. 

Young birds are even more obscured with whitish and rus- 
ty, there being a rusty collar on the neck in front, and the rus- 
ty extends along the sides. Females are smaller, but similar 
in coloration. 



PLATE IX, 




Fig. 1. Snow Bv 







SNOW BUNTING. 41 

Dimensions. Length, 6.65; stretch, 12.50; wing, 4.25; 
tail, 2.00 ; bill, 2.40 ; tarsus, .75. 

Comparisons. This is the whitest of all members of the 
Family which occur with us and may be readily distinguished 
by this and the black markings. 

Nests and Eoes. Nests placed on the ground, composed of 
grass lined with feathers. Eggs four or five in number, oval 
in form, ashy white in color when faded, but pinkish when 
fresh, spotted and blotched with } T ellowish rufous, usually 
more thickly on the larger end. Dimensions, .62 by .90. 

General Habits. With the coming of the winter winds 
and snow these Buntings appear in huge flocks. "With us 
here in Massachusetts, they frequent the coast rather than 
the interior, but during long, severe easterly storms, they are 
forced to retreat into the interior. They are nervous, active 
birds, running about on the snow among the partly covered 
weeds, gathering a few seeds here and there, then some one 
among the flock will become startled at some real or fancied 
danger, and uttering a sharp chirp of alarm will rise followed 
by all its companions. The flock once on the wing will circle 
several times about the field, but will seldom alight again in 
the immediate vicinity. They remain with us sometimes as 
late as the first week in April, when they depart for their 
home in the Arctic Region. 

Song. When with us they have a loud, clear whistle and a 
a kind of chirring sound which they utter when flying, but 
in their home, they give a very sweet warbling song which is 
emitted as the bird rises high in air, and at its termination 
drops to the ground. 



42 AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. 

Genus. GOLDFINCHES Spinus. 
Small birds, less than seven inches long, with short, point- 
ed bills, long pointed wings, longer than the rather deeply 
forked tails. One of our species is bright lemon yellow and 
black, and one is whitish streaked with brown. 

American Goldfinch. 

Spinus tristis. 
Plate X, Fig. 2. 

Adult in spring bright lemon yellow, with top of head, 
wings and tail, black. Wings with a band of white, and the 
secondaries edged with white, tail feathers also edged with 
white and there is a spot of white on the inner webs near tips. 
Bill red. Female greenish, with wings and tail brownish, and 
with the white markings restricted. No black on top of 
head. In winter the males are similar to the females, but the 
wings and tail are not so brown. Young similar to the female 
but tinged with smoky and rufous. Nestlings quite similar, 
and contrary to the rule in this family, are not streaked 
below. 

Dimensions. Length, 5.60; stretch, 9.05 ; wing, 2.85; 
tail, 1.85 ; bill, .48 ; tarsus, .45. 

Comparisons. Readily known in summer dress by the yel- 
low and black colors, and in winter by the small size, green- 
ish color and forked tail. 

Nests and Eggs. Nests placed in trees. They are com- 
pact structures, composed of fibrous weeds, leaves, and thistle 
down ; sometimes common cotton or rags are used. They are 
usually smoothly lined with silvery white thistle down, when 



GOLDFINCH. 43 

they present a very pretty appearance, but they are sometimes 
lined with fine rootlets, horse hair or fern cotton. They meas- 
ure about three inches in diameter. Eggs usually four, some- 
times five, rarely six, in number, oval in form, pale bluish 
green in color, unspotted in all which I have seen. 

General Habits. The Goldfinch is a common resident 
throughout New England, being scarcely more common at one 
season than another, but as it moves about in large flocks in 
spring, autumn and winter, it is not as generally distributed 
during these seasons as in summer. 

Few birds are better known than the Yellow-birds, as they 
are popularly called, when in their brilliant gold and black 
summer livery, at which time they are to be found feeding 
upon the seeds of thistles by roadsides when they are so un- 
suspicious as to allow T of a quite near approach. 

In winter, however, when in large flocks, at which time 
they feed upon weed seeds, they are much wilder. 

The Goldfinch breeds late in the season, in July, when the 
newly ripened seeds of plants will furnish food for its young, 
w r hich appear in August. The nest is sometimes placed in a 
willow or often in a maple or other ornamental tree by the 
road side. 

There is a regular spring and autumnal migration of Gold- 
finches, at least throughout Eastern North America, but this 
fact does not appear to affect the numbers which occur in New 
England, for if the birds which are hatched with us push on 
south, their places are supplied by others from further north. 
During some seasons they migrate as far south as southern 
Florida, 



44 PINE SISKIN. 

The flight of the Goldfinch is undulating, and in winter 
they are rather nervous, active birds, seldom remaining long 
in one place. 

Song. The Goldfinch has a peculiar plaintive cry which 
it gives as it rises and falls in its undulating flight. It also 
has a longer call note often emitted as the bird sits on a tree 
to attract the attention of seme passing companion. The 
males in summer also have a peculiar note which is louder 
and clearer than that given at other times, which is uttered as 
they fly about their nesting sites in huge circles. The true 
song is an exceedingly sweet, continuous warble and, as even 
in summer, the males are inclined to gather in flocks, the 
effect produced by a concert of their voices is very fine. 

Pine Siskin. 

Spinus pinus 
Plate IX, Fig. 2. 

Grayish white, streaked everywhere with dusky, excepting, 
on abdomen. Broadly above, where the dark color predmoinates 
and more narrowly below, where the light predominates. 

Wings brown with base of the secondaries and some of 
the primaries pale sulphury yellow, thus forming a band across 
the wing. Bill brown. Tail brown, sulphur yellow at the 
base. 

Dimensions. Length, 5.25 ; stretch, 8.80 ; wing, 2.85 ; tail, 
1.65 ; bill, .45 ; tarsus, .60. 

Comparisons. Easily distinguished by the plain color, streaks 
above and below, forked tail and sulphury band across wing. 
The Red-poll is somewhat like this bird, but has a red crown, 
and white wing band. 



PL A' 




- 




Lapland Lk 



PINE SISKIN. 45 

Nests and Eggs. Nests placed in trees. They are flat, 
bulky structures composed of stripes of bark and weed stalks, 
lined with down from willow catkins. Eggs, three or four in 
number, oval in form, bluish white in color, dotted very spar- 
ingly near the large end, with black and lilac and usually 
marked with with lines of the same colors. 

General Habits. The Pine Siskin is an irregular winter 
visitor as far south as Massachusetts, but is a constant resi- 
dent in northern New England. It comes to us in large 
flocks during certain winters, its visit evidently being regulated 
by the food supply north of us, and even extending its migra- 
tion at times as far south as southern Florida. When with 
us, it feeds largely upon seeds of the white birch, and also 
associates with the Goldfinches and Red-polls in the weed 
fields, in order to gather seeds there. 

It has been known to breed twice in Massachusetts. Once, 
at Cambridge in early May, 1859. It also nests in June, and 
and sometimes as late as August, hence, we may suppose that 
its breeding time is, as in allied species, regulated by the ripe- 
ning of the seeds of certain plants upon which it feeds its 
young. 

Song. The Pine Siskin has a note when flying, and a call 
when it wishes to attract the attention of its companions, 
which resembles quite closely the same sounds produced by 
the Goldfinch, but those given by the Pine Siskin, are harsher 
or more husky in tone, and the same is true of the song. 



46 RED-POLL. 

Genus. RED-POLLS. Acanthis. 

Bill, very short, sharply pointed, outline of upper mandi- 
ble curved, straight, or even convex. Nostrils, concealed by 
nasal tufts. Wings long, folding beyond the middle of the 
rather deeply forked tail. Small birds streaked above and be- 
low with dusky, but with the dull colors relieved by crimson 
on the crown, rosy on the breast, and sometimes on the rump. 
We have three species and one sub-species. 

Red-poll. 

ACANTHIS LINARIA. 

Plate XI, Fig. 2. 
Small birds, ashy white, streaked broadly on back, and lined 
on rump, with dark brown. There is a dusky spot on the 
throat and streaks of the same color on the sides. Top of 
head crimson, rump and lower parts, excepting abdomen and 
under tail coverts, tinged with rosy. Wings brown, banded 
with whitish and with the feathers, margined with ashy. Tail, 
also brown, edged with ashy. Females and young, similar to 
the male, but lack the rosy tinting below and on the rump, 
but the top of head is always crimson. Nestlings are streaked 
above and below, and do not have the red on the crown. 

Dimensions. Length, 5.00; stretch, 8.60; wing, 2.75; 
tail 2.35 ; bill, .38; tarsus, .32. 

Comparisons. Distinguished from the closely allied Pine 
Siskin by the crimson on the crown. This and the general 
ashy gray colors, streaked with darker, will serve to separate 
it from all other species, excepting from other Red-polls, of 
which comparative descriptions are given. 



RED POLL. 47 

Nests and Eggs. Nests placed in bushes, tufts of grass, t 
or in cavities of trees or rocks, composed of twigs, grass, etc., 
lined with fine grasses, or cottony material from willows, and 
feathers. Eggs, four to six in number, oval in form, very 
pale, bluish green in color, spotted and dotted, usually about 
the large end, with yellowish brown. Dimensions, .52 by .95. 
General Habits. While it is quite probable that the Red- 
polls visit Massachusetts every winter it is also true that 
their numbers vary greatly with different years. Sometimes, 
a few only will be seen, and then again the whole country will 
be inundated with large flocks, and hundreds of specimens 
will be seen daily ; at such times they range somewhat south 
of New England, occasionally reaching Washington and Ken- 
tucky. 

They begin to arrive in November; and remain until April, 
in fact, I have on one occasion, seen them as late as the 25th 
of this month. When with us they feed mainly upon the seeds 
of weeds and frequently associate with Goldfinches and Pine 
Siskins. They probably breed early, as 1 have had young 
fully grown which were obtained on the Magdalen Islands in 
July. The habits of all of the species of the Red-polls, appear 
to be so similar, that a description of each would be superflu- 
ous. The present species has the most southern distribution 
in summer, breeding as above stated, on the Magdalen Is- 
lands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. 

Song. Both call and alarm notes are quite similar to those 
given by the Pine Siskins, but are rather less harsh, being 
about intermediate between those of this species and those of 
the Goldfinch. The song which I have heard upon several 



48 GREATER RED-POLL 

occasions in spring, here in Massachusetts, is a very sweet, 
continuous warble, not as lively as that of the Goldfinch, but 
more melodious and pleasing. 

Holboell's Redpoll. 

ACANTHIS LINARIA HOLBOELLII. 

This well marked sub-species of the common Redpoll is lar- 
ger, length, 6.00; wing, 8.00, but the form, outline of the 
bill, and color is similar. 

HolboelPs Redpoll is more northern in distribution, breed- 
ing far north, seldom even reaching the United States in its 
winter migrations, hence is very rare in Massachusetts. 

Greater Redpoll. 

ACANTHIS ROSTRATA. 

Outline of upper mandible decidedly curved ( see plate XI, 
Fig. 2, b). The size is large, at least 6.00 long, and the streak- 
ings are broader and heavier than in the Redpoll. The large 
bill, which is about the size of that of a Tree Sparrow, and 
darker, broader markings, are quite noticeable even at a dis- 
tance. Rather more northern in distribution than the Red- 
poll, and although it does not visit the United States every 
winter, it is occasionally found in abundance even as far south 
as Massachusetts, especially on the coast. 

Hoary Redpoll. 

ACANTHIS EXILIPES. 

Size, small, not exceeding 5.00 ; bill, very short, with the 
outline of the upper mandible decidedly convex ( see plate XI, 
Fig. 2, a). The colors are much lighter than in the Redpoll, 



PLATE XL 




Fig. 1. Red Crospbill. 



i 



Fifr- 



AMERICAN CROSSBILL. 49 

the dusky markings are narrower, and the rump is wholly 
white or rosy, without any streakings whatever. Breeds in the 
far north in about the same regions inhabited by HolboelPs 
Redpoll, and is very rare as far north as Massachusetts in 
winter, but may be more common at this season in northern 
JSIew England. 

Genus. CROSSBILLS. Loxia. 

Bill stout, both mandibles much curved, with the tips 
elongated and crossed. Wings, long and pointed, folding be- 
yond the middle of the deeply forked tail, which has both up- 
per and under coverts elongated and extending beyond its 
middle. 

This is a unique genus of Finches of which we have two 
species within our limits. 

American Crossbill. 

Loxia Americana. 

Plate XI, Fig. 1. 
Form, robust. Yellowish red throughout, but never rosy. 
Wings and tail dark brown without markings. Female, green- 
ish gray throughout, becoming bright on top of head and rump, 
where there is sometimes a trace of red. Young are like the 
females, but quite dull, and males occur in all stages of mixed 
red and greenish. Nestlings are ashy throughout, tinged 
with greenish, especially on the rump, streaked everywhere 
with dusky, but rather more narrowly below than above. 



50 AMERICAN CROSSBILL. 

Dimensions. Length, 6.00; stretch, 10.25; wing, 3.75; 
tail, 2.45 ; bill .78 ; tarsus, .05. 

Comparisons. Readily known from the White-winged 
Crossbills by the absence of white bands on the wing, and 
from all other members of the family by the crossed bill. 

Nests and Eggs. Nests, placed in trees, they are rather 
compact, composed of twigs and bark, lined with moss. 
Eggs, four or five in number, oval in form, pale bluish or 
greenish white in color, sparingly spotted and scrawled with 
lines of dark brown and lilac. Dimensions, .52 by .73. 

General Habits. The Red Crossbills, as related under 
Family characters, offer an example of a species which has 
not only lost the migrating instinct, but which has also lost 
that love of locality which is so strongly implanted in most 
other birds, and which induces them to return year after year 
to breed in the vicinity of the place where they were hatched. 
They are true nomads among birds, breeding in any locality 
which will offer them nesting sites, and at any time of year 
from February until August, when they can find sufficient 
food for their young. Thus they have been found nesting in 
Maine in February, in New York City in April, fully grown 
young have been found at Peterboro N. Y. in July, and at New- 
ton in August, which, in both cases must have been hatched in 
June, and on Cape Cod in July, and at Tyngsboro, Massa- 
chusetts, in August, and in many other places at various times. 

The chief food of the Red Crossbill in winter is the seeds of 
coniferous trees, and the supply of this food regulates the move- 
ments of the birds, which simply wander about in search of 
supplies, and thus occur as far south as Maryland, Virginia, 
and along the mountain ranges into Georgia, breeding where ver 
they occur. 



WHITE-WINGED CKOSfcBILL. 51 

The Crossbills are very expert in obtaining the seeds from 
cones, and it is an interesting sight to see a flock so engaged, 
as they assume various attitudes, often even hanging head 
downward, when they resemble little Parrots. All of the 
Finches and Sparrows are inclined to gather in flocks, but 
this propensity appears to be developed to an extreme de- 
gree in the American Crossbills, for they associate together 
in considerable numbers and often even breed in communities. 

Song. When feeding in company, the Crossbills keep up a 
murmuring conversation ; they have a loud, clear call note 
which is often given when the birds are flying ; and in spring 
they give a low but very sweet song. 

White-winged Crossbill. 

LOXIA LEUCOPTERA 

Plate XII, Fig. 1. 

Size about that of the American Crossbill but the bird is 
more slender and has a less stout bill. The color is crimson 
lake, not yellowish red, while the wings and tail are darker and 
there is a large, conspicuous patch of white on the former, 
and the inner feathers are tipped with white. Females, 
young and nestlings are colored much as in the American 
Crossbill, but the white on the wings is always present. 

Dimensions. Length, 6.25; stretch, 9.10; wing, 3.25; 
tail, 2.40 ; bill, .65 ; tarsus, .60. 

Comparisons. Distinguished from the American Cross- 
bill in all stages of plumage by the conspicuous white patch 



52 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL. 

on the wing, and from other members of the family, by the 
curved bill. 

General Habits. While in a general way, the White- 
winged Crossbills resemble the American, they differ in some 
important particulars, for example, they are not mere wan- 
derers, but have fixed localities to which they return year 
after year to breed, and their movements are more like those 
of the other occasional winter visitors which come to us, being 
governed by the food supply. But on the other hand it can- 
not be doubted that they breed irregularly, for I have seen 
fully grown young taken in July which must have been 
hatched from eggs laid in May, and again I have found them 
about to breed on the Magdalens in July. The White-winged 
Crossbills do not appear to be quite so dependent upon the 
seeds of cones as do the Red, for I have found them eating 
the seeds of grasses and weeds. This food is occasionally 
varied by an insect diet, for 1 once obtained a specimen in 
Newtonville on June 13, that had its stomach filled with can- 
ker worms. 

The most notable visit which we ever had of this species 
that I have known, was in the winter of 1868-69. That year 
they appeared in great numbers at Albany, Maine, as early 
as October 21st ; during the first week in December they were 
common at Ipswich, Mass., then a few days later appeared in 
Newton, where they remained until late in April. 

Song. The call and other notes do not differ much from 
those of the American Crossbills, and the song is not dis- 
similar. 



■'HATE XII. 




Fig 1. White-winged Crossbill 




Fig. 2. rurple Finch. 



PURPLE FINCH. 53 

Genus. ROSY FINCHES. C arpodacus. 

Bill, thick, somewhat swollen at base. Wings, pointed lon- 
ger than the rather deeply forked tail. Head sub-crested. Size 
medium. Adult males are dull crimson lake, but the females 
are grayish. There are no prominent white markings on tail. 

Purple Finch. 

C arpodacus purpureus. 
Plate XII, Fig. 2. 

Size, about six inches long. Form, robust. Adult male, 
crimson lake, brighter on crown, streaked on the back with dus- 
ky ; under wing and tail coverts and abdomen, white. Wing 
and tail brown, with the feathers edged with crimson lake. 

Adult female, greenish brown above, streaked with dusky, 
and there is an indication of a whitish stripe over the eye. 
White beneath, streaked and spotted everywhere with brown. 
When caged, males become yellow. Young, of both sexes re- 
semble the female, but are tinged with greenish above, and 
yellow below. Nestlings are similar, but are rather more fine- 
ly streaked and overwashed everywhere with reddish yellow. 

Dimensions. Length, 5.59 ; stretch, 8.65 ; wing, 4.32 ; 
tail, 2.20 ; bill, .45 ; tarsus, .57. 

Comparisons. Readily known in the adult male plumage 
by the small size, short, thick bill, and crimson lake color. 
Females may be known by the size and bill, as given, and by 
the whitish stripes over the eye, long wings and forked tail, 
for no other of this family has these proportions and size. 

Nests and Eggs. Nests usually placed in evergreen trees, 
composed of small twigs and fine roots neatly woven together 
into a shallow cup-like structure which is lined with horse 



54: PURPLE FINCH. 

hair and strips of fibrous bark from the cedar. The nest 
measures about four and a half inches in diameter. Eggs, four 
or five in number, oval inform, bluish green in color, spotted 
and dotted irregularly with black, lilac and sometimes with 
umber. The black markings occasionally form lines. The 
eggs closely resemble those of the Chipping Sparrow, but are 
larger. Dimensions, .85 by .55. 

General Habits. The Purple Finch is a common spring, 
summer, and autumn resident in New England and a few re- 
main all winter as far north as Massachusetts, while large 
flocks are found throughout our limits all the year round. This 
irregularity in migrating is quite likely due to food supply. 

When the elm trees are about to bloom, the Purple Finches 
feed upon the bursting buds and also upon the petals of the 
apple blossoms. In winter, they feed upon seeds and berries 
of the cedar. They eat but few insects even in summer, hence 
are but little benefit to the husbandman. 

They breed in May, often placing their nests in cedars 
sometimes only a few feet from the ground, and I have known 
several to breed in adjacent trees, forming little communities. 
The males breed and sing when in the gray plumage, and it 
has been stated by some ornithologists that this gray plumage 
is a color phase, which once assumed is w T orn through life and 
that the crimson dress is often acquired immediately after the 
first or nestling plumage without any intermediate gray phase; 
but while these statements may be true, more evidence, is 
required to prove them. The Purple Finches occasionally 
wander as far south as Jacksonville, Florida. 

Song. The ordinary carol of the Purple Finch is a lively, 
rippling melody which is very pleasing, Contrary to the rule 



PINE GROSBEAK. 55 

among birds, the females sing this song as well as the males, 
but their lay is not given as loudly as that of the males, nor 
is it as fine. 

The males have the habit of rising in air, usually in the vi- 
cinity of the nests, to a considerable height, then descending 
slowly with the wings held upward and singing loudly. Both 
sexes give a sharp chirp of alarm, and the males utter a 
clinking note when disturbed. 

Genus. PINE GROSBEAKS. Pinicola. 

Large birds, eight inches long. Bill, short and thick, with 
upper mandible curved, and extending beyond the lower. 

Wings, long and pointed, longer than the quite deeply forked 
tail. Plumage, very thick. We have a single species of which 
the sexes are dissimilar when adult. 

Pine Grosbeak. 

Pinicola enucleator. 
Plate XIII, Fig. 1. 
Adult, male. Rusty red throughout, darkest on the back 
where the feathers show dark centers. Abdomen and under 
tail coverts, gray. Wing and tail blackish, the former show- 
ing two white bands, and some of the feathers are margined 
with white. Females and young, gray throughout, tinged 
on head, back, and rump and rather more slightly across 
breast with greenish yellow. Wings and tail as in the male. 
Young males show traces of red and all stages occur between 
this and the adult. 



56 PINE GROSBEAK. 

I have described above, the plumages as they are found to 
occur, but it may be possible that, like the Purple Finch, 
some males which are gray, never assume the red dress, but 
it appears evident, that this red plumage is acquired quite 
gradually, at least three years being required to perfect it. 
The male in the red plumage is usually not abundant. 

Dimensions. Length, 8.57 ; stretch, 13.70 ; wing, 4.69; 
tail, 3.85 ; bill, .55 ; tarsus, .75. 

Comparisons. We have no other bird in New England, 
which is as large as this, which has the Grosbeak-like bill, 
white banded wings and deeply forked tail. 

Nests and Eggs. Nests placed in trees, they are flat in 
form and composed of fine rootlets etc. and lined with finer 
material. Eggs, four in number, oval in form, greenish drab 
in color, spotted and blotched with dark purple and pale purp- 
lish brown. Dimensions, .75 by 1.08. 

General Habits. This is another winter visitor which 
comes to us from the north, and although we may have a few 
every w r inter, they are much more abundant during some 
winters than at others, their movements being governed by 
the food supply. They breed from the mountains of north- 
ern New England, northward. 

When w~ith us, they frequent pines and other evergreen 
trees, from the cones of which they are very expert in remov- 
ing the seeds upon which they feed. I have, however, seen 
them eating weed seeds. They also eat cedar berries. 

I know of no birds which visit thickly settled portions of 
the world which are so tame as the Pine Grosbeaks. 
Specimens which I have captured with a noose on the end of 
a piece of wire not over eighteen inches long, which I held in 



PLATE X11I. 





EVENING GROSBEAK. 57 

my hand as I climbed into the trees in which the birds 
were feeding, have been so very fearless as to alight on my 
hand and shoulders, within an hour after I had brought them 
home. 

This species, in common with the Snow Bunting and Lap- 
land Longspur is found throughout the Arctic Region of both 
continents ; with us, they arrive from north, in November, 
and often remain until April. 

Song. The call note of the Pine Grosbeak is the loudest, 
and clearest of any uttered by our winter birds, and is almost 
startling when heard near at hand, and can be distinguished 
a long distance away. The song is a rather low, continuous 
warble, and quite sweet, and is very frequently given with us 
in April. 

Genus. AMERICAN HAWFINCHES. 

COCCOTHRATJSTES. 

Large birds, more than seven inches long. Bill, excessively 
thick, being nearly as high at base as long. Nostrils com- 
pletely concealed by tufts of feathers. Wings, very long and 
pointed, folding beyond the middle of the rather forked tail. 
We have a single species. 

Evening Grosbeak. 

COCCOTHRAUSTES VESPERTINA. 

Plate XIII, Fig. 2. 

Size, large with a very robust form and thick yellow bill. 
Adult male. General color of body greenish yellow, more or 
less obscured with dusky, especially on the anterior portions, 



58 EVENING GROSBEAK. 

becoming quite black on the top of head, leaving forehead, 
excepting a narrow line at base of bill, clear yellow. Wings, 
sooty brown, with a p&tch of soiled white on tertiaries and inner 
secondaries. Upper tail coverts and tail, black. Female similar, 
but with the top of head brownish, and the yellow is obscured 
with ashy. Bill, greenish yellow. 

Dimensions. Length, 7.60; stretch, 13.50; wing, 4.45; 
tail, 2.60; bill, .75 ; tarsus, .70. 

Comparisons. Readily known by the large size, heavy, 
yellow bill, and general yellowish colors. 

General Habits. This species appears to be confined 
during the breeding season to the region west of the Great 
Plains, but always wanders as far east in winter as Michigan, 
and casualy in former years to New York. In 1890, however, 
large numbers came to us from the westward and inundated 
the whole of New England, excepting the more northern por- 
tions. They were first seen on January 1st, at North Sud- 
bury, Massachusetts, and continued numerous through Jan- 
uary, February, and during the first week in March, then 
their numbers began to abate, but some lingered through 
April, the last specimen observed being on May 1st at Hen- 
niker, New Hampshire. 

The Evening Grosbeaks being such peculiar birds, nat- 
urally attracted considerable attention and many were taken. 
They occurred in small flocks, consisting of from four, five or 
six to a dozen individuals ; sometimes larger numbers were ob- 
served, and then again solitary individuals and pairs were 
seen. 

An influx of numbers of a species like the Evening Gros- 
beak which is, as a rule, not a migratory bird, into a section 



EVENING GROSBEAK. 59 

like New England which is so far from its usual habitat, 
also so distant from the usual limit of its winter wanderings, 
presents an interesting problem. This movement eastward 
cannot be called migratory, as the term is generally applied 
to those birds which perform annual journeys from north to 
south, and from south to north, which are governed wholly by 
food supplies. It is highly probable that this and similar 
movements among birds and other animals, arise from the 
overproduction of a given species under peculiarly favorable 
conditions which have existed for a limited season. This over- 
crowding of a given section would, to be sure, in a measure, 
tend to exhaust the food supply of that section, and thus give 
rise to an impulse which would revive a nearly lost migratory 
instinct w T hich w T as once possessed by at least all birds and 
possibly some mammals. The revival of this instinct causes 
the animal in which it is revived to wander from its birth- 
place, to which it may never return again ; in which case the 
overcrowded district would be relieved. ( For further remarks 
upon this interesting subject, see notes on Migration of Birds 
and other Animals, in Contributions to Science, Vol. Ill, page 
45). 

Song. The Evening Grosbeak has a loud call note, which it 
utters quite frequently, and a short but not very pleasing 
warble. 

The vocal organs are quite peculiar. These are figured on 
page 5. In regard to the sound producing membrane, we find 
that the tympaniform membranes, f, v, are considerably re- 
duced in size and are vibratory only on the upper triangular 
portion, v, but that there is an additional vibrating space be- 
tween the upper bronchial half ring, seen just above v, w 7 hich 



60 BLACK SNOW BIRD. 

is governed by a Y-shaped muscle, seen at i, d, and at e, where 
it is greatly enlarged. For other peculiarities we find that al- 
though the bronchialis, and broncho trachealis are fused to- 
gether in a great measure (see c and b) they are divided below 
the point of the insertion of the sterno-trachealis, ib. s. The 
transverse bone, a, is present, and although it supports a 
small semiluna membrane, it is so fixed that it cannot be os- 
cilated. In order to understand these variations, fig, 6 should 
be compared with figs. 7 and 8 on page 7. 

Genus SNOW BIRDS. Junco. 

Small birds, not over seven inches long. Slaty gray in 
color above, with the outer tail feathers conspicuously marked 
with white. Bill rather slender and pointed. Wings, a little 
longer than the slightly forked tail. We have one species, 
with sexes somewhat dissimilar, and no prominent wing bars. 

Black Snow Bird. 

Junco hyemalis. 
Plate XIV, Fig. 1. 

Dark slate throughout, excepting on lower breast, abdomen, 
greater portion of two pairs of outer tail feathers and a spot 
on the third pair, which are white. Bill, pinkish. Female, 
similar, but paler slate, which is more or less obscured by 
reddish. Winter birds and young are also quire strongly 
tinged with reddish. Nestlings are thickly streaked above and 
below with dusky. 

Dimensions. Length, 6.25; stretch, 9.80; wing, 3.00 ; 
tail, 2.60; bill. .42; tarsus, .75. 



BLACK SNOW BIRD. 61 

Comparisons. This is the only dark, unstreaked Sparrow 
which we have that is less than seven inches long, which has 
white tail feathers. The Vesper Sparrow has, but this is 
streaked both above and below. 

Nests and Eggs. Nests, placed on the ground, are shal- 
low, cup-like structures, composed of grasses, lined with finer. 
Eggs, four or five in number, oval in form, varying from white 
to bluish white in color, spotted with reddish brown and lilac. 

General Habits. The Snow Bird is an abundant spring 
and autumnal migrant throughout middle and southern New 
England, and a winter resident in Massachusetts and south- 
ward. It is a common summer resident on the mountains of 
western and central Massachusstts, and is found somewhat 
rarely in northern Worcester County, and is abundant through- 
out northern New England. Some migrate every season as 
far south as the Carolinas and often quite to Florida. 

They are rather nervous, active birds, frequenting hedge 
rows and thickets along walls or fences in spring and autumn 
but in winter they prefer the shelter offered by the thick ever- 
green trees, into which they dart for concealment when dis- 
turbed. They are always easily recognized by the dark color 
and white tail feathers, which they are constantly displaying 
as they hop about on the ground or when flying. 

Song. The alarm note of the Snow Bird is a sharp chirp 
which is often repeated several times in rapid succession, un- 
til it becomes almost a twitter. When migrating in spring 
and sometimes in autumn, they give a low warbling song 
which is quite melodious, but in summer when breeding, the 
lay uttered as a regular song, is nothing better than a series of 



62 SONG SPARROW. 

harsh chirps run together so as to form a kind of trill which, 
although lively, is not very musical. 

Genus. SONG SPARROWS. Melospiza. 

Small birds, less than seven inches long, reddish brown 
above, streaked with dusky; lighter below, also streaked with 
brown (but obscurely in the Swamp Sparrow. ) Bill, rather 
larger and stouter than in the last genus. Wings either short- 
er than the rounded tail, or equal to it, or but little exceeding 
it in length. Sexes, similar. We have three species. 

Song Sparrow. 

Melospiza fasciata. 

Plate XIV, Fig. 2. 

Wings, shorter than the tail. Reddish brown above, streaked 
narrowly with ashy and more broadly with dark brown. 
White beneath, spotted on breast, where the spots accumu- 
late to form a central patch, and streaked on sides with dark 
brown. There is a medium line on crown, and over eye one 
of ashy. Back of eye is a brown line, one below eye and 
a maxillary patch of the same color. Young, have the ashy 
markings overwashed with dusky and the lower parts are 
tinged with yellowish. Nestlings show no traces whatever 
of the ashy, but its place is supplied with reddish yellow, 
which also strongly tinges the entire lower parts, where the 
spots and streakings occupy the same area as in the adults, 
but the spots do not accumulate to form a central patch. 

Dimensions. Length, 6.38 ; stretch, 8.75 ; wing, 2.55 ; tail, 
2.77 ; bill, .48 ; tarsus, .75. 



SONG SPARROW. 63 

Comparisons. Readily known by the decided reddish brown 
color above, combined with the spottings and streakings below 
on a white ground, together with the short wings and long tail. 
The White-throated Sparrow is about the same color above, but 
this is not streaked below and has longer w T ings. For com- 
parisons with Lincoln's and Swamp Sparrow r s, see these spe- 
cies. 

General Habits. The Song Sparrow is a constant resi- 
dent in New England from Massachusetts southward and a 
summer visitor to the sections further north. It is true, how- 
ever, that in Massachusetts they are quite uncommon in win- 
ter, but some remain wherever they can find such shelter, as 
brush heaps and thickets along w 7 alls may afford them. 

The Song Sparrows are among the first to breed of the 
smaller birds, nesting often by the middle of April. The first 
nest of the season is generally placed on the ground, but 
when a second litter of eggs is laid, which event occurs as soon 
as the young of the first brood are fully grown, the nest is oft- 
en placed in a bush. The reason for this change is obvious, for 
while the ground affords a warmer situation for the first nest, 
which is built during the somewhat uncertain weather of our 
middle spring, it is also a better place for concealment. As 
soon as the weather becomes warmer, the second nest is placed 
above the ground in some thicket or bush where it is not as 
easily seen by animals which are ever ready to prey upon the 
eggs or young. A third litter of eggs is often deposited by 
the same pair of birds in a single season, even when they have 
succ< eded in rearing two other broods of young. 



64 SONG SPARROW. 

Early in spring the Song Sparrows may be found along 
fence rows and in thickets. They also occur in bushes on 
the side of streams. They are not shy birds, and when started 
from one retreat, merely fly a sufficient distance to reach the 
nearest bush which will afford them partial concealment. In 
flying the tail is whisked from side to side, a movement which 
is quite characteristic of the species 

Song. Early in March should a few warm days occur, the 
the lively, well known song of this Sparrow may be heard oft- 
en in the vicinity of houses. It begins with two or three clear 
detatched notes, runs into a warbling trill, and terminates 
with one or two separate notes, something like those given at 
the beginning. I know a few bird songs which, to my ear, are 
more pleasing, but possibly this may be largely due to pleasant 
associations connected with the chant of this Sparrow, which 
one hears so constantly, for none of our native birds continue 
to sing as long as this. As mentioned, they begin their songs 
amid the ice and snows of our lingering winter, continue 
through the spring and summer, for the sultry heat of August, 
during which most of our native birds are silent, finds them 
singing. Through the autumn their melodies may still be 
heard, and even on warm days in November, when the brown 
earth is covered with fallen leaves, our little plainly colored 
friends will break out into the same clearly given lay which 
they practised earlier in the season. 



PLATE XIV. 




H^l. Black Snowbird, 




Fig. 2. 3ong Sparroi 



Lincoln's sparrow. 65 

Lincoln's Sparrow. 

Melospiza lincolni 
Plate XV Fig. 1. 

Differs from the Song Sparrow in being more yellowish 
ashy above and in having a broad band of bufty across breast 
which extends along the sides. The streakings below, are 
rather narrower than those of the Song Sparrow. There are 
two rufus bands on the crown. Young are darker buff below. 

Dimensions. Length, 5.45 ; stretch, 8.45 ; wing, 2.65 ; 
tail, 2.25 ; bill, .45 ; tarsus, .75. 

Comparisons. Known from other Sparrows by its general 
resemblance to the Song Sparrow, combined with the buff on 
breast and sides. 

Nests and Eggs. Nests placed on the ground, usually in 
swampy places, composed of leaves, grasses, etc. , lined with 
finer material. Eggs, four or five in number, oval in form, 
pale green in color, thickly spotted anl dotted with reddish 
brown. Dimensions, .76 by .57. 

General Habits. Lincoln's Sparrow is, when with us, a 
retiring bird, keeping well down among swampy thickets. 
It occurs regularly however, as a spring and autumnal migrant 
but is quite local in distribution. In Eastern Massachusetts 
it has been found for many years at Cambridge and Concord. 
In general habit, it quite closely resembles the Swamp Sparrow, 
but in flight, is more like the Song Sparrow. 

None of this species have been known to breed in New Eng- 
land, for almost all pass far north of us in summer, reaching 
quite to the Arctic Region, but the nest has been found in 
the Adirondacks. 



6G SWAMP SPARROW. 

Song. Lincoln's Sparrow has a rather feeble chirp while 
with us ; the song is low, prolonged, rather varied and pleas- 
ing. It is given as the bird sits in some elevated situation. 

Swamp Sparrow. 

Melospiza gkorgiana. 
Plate XV, Fig. 2. 

Top of head, reddish brown, with forehead and sides of 
head ashy. Back, reddish yellow, broadly streaked with dark 
brown. Beneath, white, unstreaked but strongly tinged w r ith 
ashy in a band across breast. Outer edges of wing and tail 
feathers bright reddish brown. Winter adults have an ashy 
stripe in the middle of the crown. Young birds have the sides 
and flanks streaked with dusky, and the reddish brown of the 
head streaked with black, and the sides yellowish. Nestlings 
are quite yellowish throughout, and the lower neck and 
breast are streaked with dark brown. 

Dimensions. Length, 5.70; stretch, 7.7G ; wing, 2.85; 
tail, 2.25; bill, .45; tarsus, .82. 

Comparisons. We have no other Sparrow with short wings 
and a rounded tail which combines the red of the crown with 
unstreaked, lower parts. The nestlings are slightly streaked, 
and the crown is not red, but these may be always disting- 
uished by the very reddish edgings to the wing and tail feath- 
ers. 

Nests and Eggs. Nest placed on the ground, usually in 
swampy places, composed of dried grasses and weeds, lined 
with finer grass and weeds. They are deeply cup-shaped, 
about four inches in diameter, and about two and a half in- 
ches deep. Eggs four or five in number, oval in form, pale 




ncoln's Sparrow, 




RUFUS SPARROWS. CV 

bluish green in color, spotted and often quite coarsely blotched 
with reddish brown, lilac and umber. The coarse blotches or 
splashes are quite characteristic. 

General Habits. The Swamp Sparrow is a bird of rather 
retiring habits, and as its name indicates, an inhabitant of 
of low, marshy thickets. Here they somewhat resemble the 
Song Sparrows, but are rather more shy than that species. 
They arrive from the south in early April, and scatter over 
the whole of New England, extending their range to Labrador 
although a few are said to spend the winter regularly in 
the Fresh Pond swamps near Cambridge, Massachusetts, the 
greater number depart in early November. 

Song. In autumn, the Swamp Sparrows give a short, low 
murmuring warble which is quite pleasing; they also have a 
soft, chirp, and give a series of querulous sounding notes 
when disturbed. The true song uttered in spring and sum- 
mer, consists of a series of rather lisping, chipping notes 
forming a sprightly trill, which somewhat resembles the lay 
of the Chipping Sparrow. 

Genus. RUFUS SPARROWS. Passerella. 

Rather large, stout Sparrows with the pervading color above 
rufus, white beneath, distinctly spotted with rufus. No white 
markings on wings nor tail. Bill, stout. Wings, longer than 
the square tail. Sexes similar. 



08 FOX-COLORED SPARROW. 

Fox-colored Sparrow. 

Passerella iliaca. 
Plate XVI, Fig. 1. 

Strong, stout Sparrows, over seven inches long. General 
color above, light rufus with rump ashy, and the feathers of 
back and head are edged with ashy. There are narrow, white 
wing bars. Beneath, white, spotted and streaked with ruf- 
us on side of neck, breast and along sides. The spots accumu- 
late on the centre of the breast to forma patch, which is dark- 
er than the markings elsewhere. Bill, brown, with the low- 
er mandible orange. Young, similar, but rather more rufus 
above, with the ashy edgings less apparant. 

Dimensions. Length, 7.20 ; stretch, 11.25 ; wing, 3.00; 
tail, 3.30 ; bill, .20 : tarsus, .70. 

Comparisons. This is the most rufus of all our Sparrows, 
this color and the larger size will serve to distinguish it. 

Nests and Eggs. Nests, placed on the ground, usually 
concealed beneath the overhanging branches of low evergreens. 
They are large, rather deeply cup-shaped structures, four inch - 
es in diameter, by four in depth, composed of dried grass, and 
moss, lined with feathers. Eggs, four or five in number, oval 
in form, pale green in color, spotted, blotched, and dotted, 
quite thickly and somewhat coarsely with reddish brown, with 
an under tinting of lilac markings. Dimensions from .85 to 
.62. 

General Habits. This large, fine Sparrow is a very com- 
mon spring and autumnal migrant in New England, arriving 
from the south, about the middle of the month, and some ling- 
er until the last week in April. While with us, they occur in 



PLATE XVI. 




Fig. I. Fox Sparrow. 




Towhe 



FOX-COLORED SPARROW. 69 

small flocks, frequenting low thickets on the margins of wood- 
lands, into which they retreat when disturbed. Sometimes, 
they occur by roadsides or along fence rows. They are often 
found upon the ground, scratching about among the fallen 
leaves in search of food. They are not especially shy birds 
and can be approached quite readily if moderate caution be used. 
I found the Fox Sparrow abundant on the Magdalen Islands 
in summer, breeding in the little glades, which are surrounded 
by the low growing, but thick-branched spruces and hemlocks, 
which are so characteristic of these wind-swept islands. 

The eggs are deposited about the last week in June, and the 
young appear late in July. The latter part of October the birds 
are in Massachusetts again, where they linger often until the 
first week in December, when they depart for the south, win- 
tering from the Middle States to the Gulf of Mexico. 

Somg. While in Massachusetts, the usual note is a sharp 
chirp of alarm occasionally, however, they attempt to sing, but it 
was not until 1 visited the Magdalens, that I learned that their 
musical efforts when with us, although fine, were but the pre- 
lude to their more finished attainments. Their summer song 
as given there, begins with three clear, rather rapidly given 
notes, uttered with increasing emphasis, then a pause ensues, 
and the remainder of the chant is poured forth more deliberately 
terminating with a well rounded note, giving a finish to a 
song which, for sweetness and clearness of tone, is seldom 
surpassed even by our best performers. 



70 TOWHEE. 

Genus. GROUND BUNTINGS. Pipilo. 

Large birds, over eight inches long, of a rather slender form. 
Bill, thick. Feet large. Wings, shorter than the rounded 
tail, which is conspicuously marked with white. Sexes dis- 
similar. We have one species. 

Towhee. 

Pipilo ertthropthalmus. 
Plate XVI, Fig. 2. 

Male. All of head and neck and upper parts black. There 
is a small spot of white at the base of the primaries, some of 
the feathers are edged with it, and there are four pairs of 
outer tail feathers which are broadly marked with white. Be- 
neath white, with band along sides, and under tail coverts, 
bright reddish brown. Bill, black ; iris red ; feet brown. 

Female has the black represented by dull reddish brown. 
Young have the white markings less extended, and the fe- 
males are more reddish. Nestlings resemble the young fe- 
males, are streaked above and below with dusky, and the iris 
is bluish white. 

Dimensions. Length, 8.04; stretch, 11.35; wing, 3.50 ; 
tail, 3.76 ; bill, .60 ; tarsus, 1.02. 

Comparisons. We have no other member of the family 
which has the tail so strongly marked with white, and with so 
much chestnut or reddish brown on the sides. 

Nests and Eggs. Nests placed on the ground. They, are 
shallow, saucer-shaped structures, composed of grass, leaves, 
and strips of bark, loosely arranged, and lined with fine grass. 
External diameter is about three and a half inches; depth two. 



TOWHEE. 71 

Eggs four or five in number, rather elliptical in form, ashy 
white in color, spotted, dotted and blotched with reddish 
brown and lilac. Dimensions, .90 by .70. 

General Habits. The well known and well marked 
Towhee arrives from the south about the first of May, and 
frequents brushy pastures or thickets on the borders of wood- 
lands and extends its range throughout New England, but 
is rather locally distributed through the older settled dis- 
tricts of the northern portions. The Towhees spend a greater 
portion of their time upon the ground, scratching among the 
leaves in search of food, and are not shy if approached with 
moderate caution. On account of this habit of feeding on the 
ground, these birds are sometimes called Ground Robins. 

They breed about the middle of May, often placing the 
the nest in a clump of bushes, and the female sits quite close- 
ly, and I have often managed to get within a few feet of her 
before she left the eggs. 

Song. If the Towhee were less well marked, it could be 
readily recognized by its alarm notes, for when disturbed, it 
constantly reiterates its name of" towhee " given very de- 
cidedly with the accent on the last syllable. This note is 
is oftentimes interpreted as being chewink, and this name is 
sometimes applied to the bird. In addition to this note, which 
is common to both sexes, the males sing a loud, clear, but 
somewhat detatched song. This is given as the bird sits 
perched upon some elevated situation, generally the highest 
tree which he can find in the neighborhood of the nest. 



r2 CARDINAL GROSBEAK. 

Genus CARDINALS. Cardinalis. 

Large birds, over eight inches long, with thick bills, crest- 
ed heads, and bright colors. The wings are rounded, and are 
considerably shorter than the rounded tail. We have one 
species with sexes dissimilar. 

Cardinal Grosbeak. 

Cardinalis virginianus. 
Plate XVII, Fig. 1. 

Male, bright Vermillion red, duller on back, wings and tail ; 
line at base of bill, chin and throat black. Bill, yellowish red. 
Female has the wings and tail as in the male, and the Vermil- 
lion above is replaced by yellowish brown, and beneath by 
red. The black of the head is less extended. Young birds 
are duller. 

Dimensions. Length, 8.40; stretch, 11.00; wing, 3.35; 
tail. 4.40 ; bill, .87 ; tarsus, .99. 

Comparisons. Readily known by the large size, crested 
head, thick, red bill and vermillion color. 

Nests and Eggs. Nests placed in trees. They are rather 
compact, but shallow structures, composed of weeds, leaves 
and Spanish moss, lined with fine grass. They are about 
four and a half inches in diameter, with a depth of two in- 
ches. Eggs, three or four in number, elliptical in form, ashy- 
white in color, spotted, blotched and dotted irregularly with 
reddish brown and lilac. Dimensions, 1.00 by .80. 

General Habits. The well known Cardinal is a rare 
visitor to extreme southern New England ; it breeds regular- 



. 



He. t. Cirdlsal Oroabe»k 



PLATE XV11 





fig. 2. Rose-breasted Grosbe 



SONG GROSBEAKS. 73 

ly, however, in Central Park, New York, where it is a con- 
stant resident. 

The Cardinal frequents low shrubbery, where for a bird of 
such bright plumage, it can conceal itself more effectually 
than one would suppose. They feed upon weed seeds in win- 
ter, and in spring on the newly grown seeds of the maples. 
They are of a social disposition, and frequently gather in con* 
siderable numbers about some favorite feeding ground. They 
are usually resident wherever they occur. 

Song. The ordinary note of the Cardinal, and one which 
is emitted by both sexes, is a sharp chirp, but in spring, the 
the male has a loud, clear song which he repeats frequently, 
but when singing, he usually remains concealed in his 
favorite thicket. 

Genus. SONG GROSBEAKS. Habia. 

Large birds, about eight inches long, with a thick, heavy 
bill. The males are black and white with white markings on 
wings and tail, the females duller^ Wings, pointed, and about 
equal in length to the square tail. 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 

Habia ludovioiana* 

Plate XVII, Fig. 2. 

Male. Head and neck all around, and upper parts, black. 
Band on wing, base of primaries, spots on tips of secondaries, 
rump, broad spots on three pairs of outer tail feathers and 
lower parts, white, with a triangular spot on breast, bend of 



74 ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. 

wing and under wing coverts rose. Bill, whitish. Female, 
brown above streaked with dusky, buff below, also streaked 
with dusky. There is a medium and superciliary stripe of 
whitish. (See Fig. 11). Wings and tail, brown without 
white markings. There is no rose, but the under wing coverts 
are yellow. Young male similar, but more buffy above with 
rosy under wing coverts, and with the white wing markings, 
but the tail is brown. Young birds are more broadly striped 
than the adults. Nestlings are wholly buff, marked with 
black. 

Dimensions. Length, 7.75; stretch, 12.50; wing, 4.00; 
tail 3.25 ; bill, .68 ; tarsus, .75. 

Comparisons. Adult males, may be known at once by the 
black above, white beneath, and rosy breast, and the females 
and young by the large, heavy bill and colored wing lining. 

Nests and Eggs. Nests placed in trees or bushes. They 
are shallow, rather slight structures, composed of sticks, rath- 
er loosely arranged and lined with fine rootlets and grass. 
Eggs, three or four in number, oval in form, light bluish green 
in color, spotted and blotched rather coarsely with reddish 
brown and lilac. 

General Habits. The Rose-breasts make their appear- 
ance about the first week in May. They frequent open wood- 
lands when they first come, but soon scatter about the orch- 
ards and gardens. They are, however, fond of the vicinity 
of water courses which are bordered with bushes. This hab- 
it of frequenting orchards, has recently been acquired by 
this fine Grosbeak. Possibly the fact that their numbers are 
increasing may have something to do with this change of hab- 
it. Audubon, as is well known, considered this species quite 



PAINTED SPARROW. 75 

rare, but it has gradually been growing more and more 
abundant until it has become one of our most common species. 

The Rose-breasts build their nests in early June, The 
site cf the nesting place is often a clump of bushes by the 
side of a favorite stream, but they often breed in fruit trees in 
orchards and gardens. These Grosbeaks are never shy, and 
when the female is setting, she will permit one to approach 
within two or three feet of her without becoming alarmed. If 
captured when young, they become exceedingly tame. The 
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks occur all over New England, but 
are among the earliest of the family to migrate, departing 
the first week in September. They winter south of the 
United States. 

Song. The ordinary notes of the Rose-breast which is 
used by both male and female, is a sharp chirp, given in quite 
a metalic-like tone. The song is among the finest of all our 
bird cantatas, ringing out loud, clear and melodiously, es- 
pecially in the still mornings of early June. Some parts of 
the song remind one of the notes of the Robin, nfher? are not 
dissimilar to a portion of the lay of the Scarlet 1 
but lack the husky intonation of char species. There is con- 
siderable individual variation to the song ; some 
much more melodious carol than others. 

Genus. PAINTED SPARROWS. Passekina. 

Small birds, less than six inches long. The male of our sin- 
gle species is bright greenish blue. The wings are longer than 
the nearly even tail. 



76 INDIGO BIRD. 

Indigo Bird. 

Passerina cyanea. 
Plate XVIII Fig. 1. 

Male, greenish blue throughout, darkest anteriorly. Wings, 
and tail, brownish. Female, reddish brown throughout, light- 
er beneath, and more or less tinged with blue. In autumn, 
both sexes ar© quite similar, but the adult male is brighter. 
Young resembles the female. It takes two or three years to 
perfect the full dress of the male, hence birds in mixed red- 
dish and blue plumages are frequently seen. 

Dimensions. Length, 5.15 ; stretch, 8.50 ; wing, 2.30 ; tail 
2.10 ; bill, .65 ; tarsus, .75. 

Comparisons. We have no other species in New England, 
which is blue in the adult male, and uniform reddish, without 
wing markings or streakings in the female, excepting the Blue 
Grosbeak, but this is a larger bird over six inches long, with a 
larger, heavier, bill. ( See description of this species in appen- 
dix.) 

Nests and Eggs. Nests placed in low bushes and thickets, 
composed of grass, leaves, ete. lined with finer material. Eggs 
almost always four in number, oval in form, becoming pale 
bluish green in color, usually unmarked, but occasionally fine- 
ly dotted with reddish brown. 

General Habits. The Indigo Birds arrive from the 
south early in May and usually frequent bushy hillsides, 
which slope up from swampy thickets. The nests are almost 
always placed in a low bush on the edge of some dense thorny 
undergrowth, and is thus almost completely concealed. The 



PLATE XVIII. 




Fig 1 Indigo Bird. 




A B 

F\j:. ?. Outer tail feathers of A, Snow Bird B, Vesper Sparrow. 



INDIGO BIRD. 77 

eggs are deposited early in June. In antumn, the Indigos 
gather in flocks often in company with other Sparrows in weedy 
fields, and as at this season, all are in the reddish brown dress 
of the female, they are quite inconspicious. This brown dress 
is assumed by the males with the autumnal moult and the 
blue plumage is resumed again in spring, after a second moult, 
which occurs before they leave their winter quarters, far south 
of the United States. 

At all times the Indigo birds are very shy and should be 
approached with caution. The males appear perfectly black 
when seen against the light from below, but when viewed 
from above or on a level with one's eye, the beautiful blue 
colors may be seen. 

Song. The ordinary alarm note of the Indigo bird, which 
is given by both sexes, is a rather sharp chirp. The song of 
the male, which is uttered as the bird is perched on the top 
of the highest tree, which he can find in his immediate neigh- 
borhood, is an exceedingly, lively, lisping chant, given with 
considerable energy, but ends very abruptly. The whole per- 
formance is not musical nor very pleasing. They sing very 
persistently and often nearly continuously for an hour at a 
time, and their songs may be heard frequently as late as the 
first week in August. 



APPENDIX. 



CASUAL VISITORS. 
Brewer's Sparrow. 

Spizella breweri. 
Size, form and general coloration, of the Chipping Sparrow, 
but difiers in being paler, with all of the markings indistinct, 
and in having no clear chestnut crown, this being permanently 
streaked all over with narrow lines of dusky. A western spe- 
cies ; a single young male, being recorded by Mr. Wm. Brew- 
ster, as having been taken at Watertown, Massachusetts, 
December, loth, 1893. 

Shufeldt's Snow Bird. 

JUNCO OREGONUS SHUFELDTI. 

Size and form of the Black Snowbird, but darker above, 
with back dull reddish brown, and sides of a paler tint of the 
same. This is a sub-species of the Oregon Snowbird which 
occurs in the west, and is given as a New England bird upon 
the authority of Mr. Wm. Brewster, who records a specimen 
taken at Watertown, Massachusetts, March, 25th, 1874. 

Blue Grosbeak 

GUIRACA CAERULEA. 

Fig. 9. 
Male, brilliant blue throughout, darkest on the back. Wings 
black, crossed by two reddish yellow bands. Tail black. Fe- 
male, yellowish brown, paler below, tinged with black. 

79 



80 APPENDIX. 

Length, 6.55; stretch, 11.10 ; wing, 3.35; tail, 3.00; bill, 
.60 ; tarsus, .90. This species occurs regularly in Eastern 
United States as far north as Central Pennsylvania. A spec- 
imen was taken on Grand Manan, a few years ago, and one in 
Brookline, Massachusetts, May 29, 1880, the latter being the 
only known New England example. 

Chestnut-collared Longspur. 

CALCARIU8 ORNATUS. 

Collar on back of neck, bright chestnut. Top of head, stripe 
behind eye, spot on lower part of ear coverts, lesser wing cov- 
erts and lower parts (excepting chin, throat, sides and flanks, 
under wing and tail coverts, which are white ) black. This 
black beneath is frequently overwashed or marked with chest- 
nut. Above, dark brown, with most of the feathers edged with 
grayish. Tail, brown, with two or three outer feathers white. 
Female similar, but duller. Length, 6.00; wing, 3.00 ; tail, 
2.00. A western species occurring on the prairies, but a single 
specimen was taken at Magnolia, Massachusetts, July 28, 
1876. 

Lark Bunting. 

Calamospiza bicolor. 

Male, black throughout, with a large white patch on wing, 
and white markings on tail. Female, brownish, streaked above 
and below, where the tint is lighter. Patch on wing as in 
male. West of the Mississippi River, but casual east. One 
taken at Lynn, Massachusetts, December 5th, 1877. 



APPENDIX. 81 

INTRODUCED SPECIES. 
English Sparrow. 

Passer domesticus. 

Fig. 10. 

Size, large. Form, robust, reddish brown above, conspic- 
uously streaked with black ; crown and rump ashy. Beneath, 
grayish white, with forehead and large patch on breast black. 
Female and young without the black of throat. 

These birds, now so abundant, were introduced into this 
country from Europe. This truly deplorable event occurred 
in 1850, when eight pairs were brought to New York City. 
They were introduced into Boston in 1860. 

European Goldfinch. 

Cardulis cakdulis. 

Larger than the American Goldfinch. Yellow beneath, 
greenish above, wings and tail black, prominently marked 
with white; space about bill, red. 

Introduced from Europe, and now occurs rarely about Bos- 
ton as a constant resident. 

HYPOTHETICAL SPECIES. 
Brewster's Linnet, 

ACANTHIS BREWSTSBRI. 

Resembles the Redpoll in size, form and general color, but 
has no red on the crown, and is tinged with sulphury yellow 
on the rump, and with yellowish on breast and along sides. 
Wings with two yellowish bands, and the feathers of these 
and the tail are narrowly edged with pale sulphury yellow. 



82 APPENDIX. 

A single specimen of this singular bird was obtained by 
Mr. Wm. Brewster, at Waltham, Massachusetts, a number of 
years ago from a flock of Redpolls. No other specimen has 
since been seen. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



The following synopsis of species is intended to aid the stu- 
dents in identifying our Sparrows, Finches, etc, when seen 
living in adult plumage. 

The family characters as given on pages 1-6 should be care- 
fully studied, in order that a member of this group may be 
recognized, then the size, absence or presence of white on the 
tail, color, and comparative length and form of tail as given 
in the synopsis will serve to distinguish the species. 

No character is given which cannot readily be seen by the 
ordinary vision at ten feet distant in a fair light, and with a 
good field or opera glass the bird can often be brought much 
nearer. 

Following, is given an example of the use of the synopsis 
with a member of this family in sight. First, note its size, 
w T hich, after a little practise, can readily be determined. As 
a rough guide, it may be well to state that the page upon 
which this is printed is about six inches long. If the bird is 
about as long as this or a little longer, we turn to the synop- 
sis, and find that it falls under C ; next, note if the tail has 
white markings. Most birds spread the tail slightly, quite 
frequently as they perch, and more widely as they fly, hence, 
by watching a moment the outer tail feathers, on which the 
markings are, can be seen, especially from behind. Should 
the white be seen, the species falls under A . 

Now T note if there are streakings above and below. Should 
there be, we find that we come to section a in the running type 

83 



84: SYNOPSIS. 

with a single species, under this heading, which is indicated 
by an asterisk (°) as are all the species. A minute inspection 
will clearly show that we have a Vesper Sparrow before us, 
described, as seen by the number following the name, on page 
36. Consulting the opening lines under the name, we find 
that a figure of its head is given on Plate VIII, Fig. 2. And 
the form of its tail is given on Plate V, on which is figured 
form of the tails of many of the genera. 

Should the tail be without white markings, we turn to sec- 
tion b, printed in the same type as section a, and note first, if 
the head be reddish brown. Should this be true, and there 
are furthermore, no streaks beneath, which characters we find 
given in section A in the running type, w T e next observe the 
tail, and see if this is forked, and whether it appears to be 
shorter than the wings. We can judge of this, by noting 
whether the wings project down on the tail or not ; if they do 
Ave may say that they are longer, and so we consult the spe- 
cies under section a. 

Now, under this section, we find three species given, two, 
which are yellowish ashy beneath, with no dark line through 
the eye. 

Thus it is best to look at once for the dark line through eye 
and this, when present, readily can be seen, as it is very ap- 
parent. Should it be found, we have, as is evident, the third 
species, or Chipping Sparrow, before us, and by consulting 
the description, given on page 10, can assure ourselves of this 
fact by studying the more extended description there given. 

To the above example it may be added that it is of course, 
well to keep the season of the years, when the observation is 



SYNOPSIS. 



8S 



made in mind, as the times of the appearance of each species 
is given in the Synopsis, thus it would be, as far as the observa- 
tion of ornithologists extend, useless to look for a Chipping 
Sparrow in January in New England, although a Tree Spar- 
row would quite likely be found then. Two or three of the 
merely casual or accidental visitors are omitted from the 
Synopsis. 

SYNOPSIS. 

A, large, 7.50 to 8.50 long. 

A. Tail, without white markings. 

a. Head, crested. 

° Carmine throughout; female duller. 
Cardinal Grosbeak. 

b. Head, not crested. 

a. Bill, yellow. 
° Dusky yellow, wings and tail, black. 

visitor. Evening Grosbeak. 

b. Bill, black. 
s Rosy, often gray. Wing bars, white. 

Pine Grosbeak. 

B. Tail, with white markings. 

A. Sides chestnut. Bill, black. 

° Black above and on head and neck all 
beneath. Towhee. 

b. Sides not chestnut. Bill, white. 

Black above, with broad white markings. White be- 
neath. Breast rose. Female, brown, streaked above and 
below. No rose. White line over eye. See fig. 11. Sum- 
mer resident. Rose~breastei> Grosbeak. 73 



Casual 


visitor. 




72 


Casual 


winter 




57 


Winter 


visitor. 




00 


round. 


White 




70 



86 SYNOPSIS. 

B. flediurn, over 6.25, under 7.50 long. 

A. Tail with white markings. 
a. No streaks below. 

a. Throat and breast, black. 

Brownish ; collar behind, chestnut. Sides, streaked. 
Autumnal migrant. Lapland Longspur. 38 

b. Throat, white, with black maxillary lines. 

Brownish above ; white below, unstreaked ; black cen- 
tral spot on breast. Casual visitor. Lark Finch. 20 

c. No black markings about head. 

White, overwashed with yellowish red. Back, wings and 
tail, partly black. Snow Bunting. 40 

B. Tail, without white markings. 
A. Throat, black. 

* Yellowish brown above, white beneath. Casual in sum- 
mer. Black-throated Bunting. 9 

R. Throat white or whitish. 

a Yellow in front of eye. 

Reddish brown above, streaked. Throat, distinctly white 
Common spring and autumnal migrant ; summer resident in 
northern portion. White-throated Sparrow. 16 

b. No yellow on head. 

Grayish brown above, streaked. Throat, indistinctly 
white. Spring and autumnal migrant. WniTE-CROWNED 
Sparrow. 19 

c. Color, nearly uniform. No streakirgs. 

Male, blue; female, reddish brown; both with buffy wing 
bars. Accidental. Blue Grosbeak. 79 

D. Color, not uniform, streaked above, spotted below. 



SYNOPSIS- 87 

Yellowish red above ; white below. Spring and autumnal 
migrant. Fox-colored Sparrow. 67 

C. Small, 6.00 long or a little over or under. 

A. Tail, with white markings. 

A. Streaked above and below. 

Yellowish brown above ; whitish below. Summer resident. 
Vesper Sparrow. 36 

B. No streakings anywhere. 

Dark slaty above, and on head and breast ; white beneath 
Spring and autumnal migrant. Winters in middle and south- 
ern, summer resident in northern portion. Snow Bird. 60 

B. Tail, without white markings. 

A. Top of head reddish brown. No streaks beneath. 

a. Tail, forked, shorter than wings. 

* No dark line through eye. Beneath, yellowish ashy, 
with single, central brown spot. Spring and autumnal mi- 
grant ; winter resident in middle and southern portion. Tree 
Sparrow. 13 

* No dark line through eye . Beneath, yellowish ashy, no 
central spot. Summer resident. Field Sparrow. 14 

Beneath, dark ashy. Black line through eye ; no cen- 
tral spot. Summer resident. Chipping Sparrow. 10 

b. Tail, rounded, equal to wing. 

* White beneath, with ashy band across breast. Chiefly 
summer visitor. Swamp Sparrow. 66 

B. Top of head uniform with back, both streaked ; streaks 
above and below. 

a. Tail, rounded, and as long as wing. No yellow in front 
of eye. 



88 SYNOPSIS 

° No buff' across breast. Chiefly summer resident. Song 
Sparrow. 62 

° Buff band across breast. Local spring and autumnal 
migrant. Lincoln's Sparrow. 65 

b. Tail, much shorter than wings, slightly forked. Feath- 
ers not pointed. Yellow spot in front of eye. 

Dark colors predominating above. Summer resident. 
Savannah Sparrow. 31 

Light colors predominating above. Chiefly spring and 
autumnal migrant on coast. Ipswich Sparrow. 33 

c. Tail, about equal to wings, with feathers sharpened. 

° Buffy, no yellow in front of eye. Summer visitor to coast. 
Sharp-tailed Sparrow. 22 

Grayish, yellow spot in front of eye. Summer visitor to 
coast of Connecticut, casual further north. Sea-side Spar- 
row. % 25 

Greenish buff above, buff below. Local summer visitor. 

Henslow's Sparrow. 29 

c. No streaks below. Top of head uniform with back, 

Reddish streaks above, buffy below ; yellow in front of eye. 
Summer resident, local. Yellow-winged Sparrow., _ 27 

D. Colors uniform. No streaks. 

Male, blue ; female, reddish brown, no wing bands. Sum- 
mer resident. Indigo Bird. 76 

e. Tail, deeply forked. Bill, not crossed. 

a. Head, sub-crested. 

Male, crimson lake ; female grayish, streaked. Resident. 
Purple Finch. 53 



SYNOPSIS. 89 

b. Head, not sub-crested. No streakings. 

* Males yellow in winter and females greenish, wings and 

tail, black. Resident. American Goldfinch. 42 

° Yellow beneath, with red at base of bill. Introduced. 

European Goldfinch. 81 

c. Streaked throughout. 

* Top of head orimson. Wing bands, whitish. Winter 
visitor. Red-polls. 46 & 48 

No crimson on head. Wing bars, sulphury yellow. Win- 
ter visitor to southern, breeds in northern portions. Pl\ t e 
Siskin. 44 

° No crimson on head. Wings, tinged with sulphury yel- 
low. Hypothetical species. Brewster's Linnet. 81 

F. Tail, deeply forked. Bill, crossed. 

No white on wing. Frequent winter visitor. American 
Crossbill. 49 

8 White patch on wing. Irregular winter visitor. White- 
winged Crossbill. 51 

g. Tail, moderately forked. 

tt Top of head unstreakcd ; back streaked, no streaks below. 
Male with black throat patch, female without. Introduced. 
English Sparrow. 81 



Fig. !). 




Blue Grosbeak. 

Fig. 10 




*CJU 



English Sparrow. 



I 



Fig. 11. 




Female Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 



INDEX 



Acadian Sharp-tailed 

Sparrow 25 
Acanthis 

exilipes 48 

holboellii 48 

linaria 46 

rostrata 48 
American Crossbill 49 
American Goldfinch 42 
American Hawfinches 57 
Ammodramus 

candicutus 22 

c. acadicus 25 

c nelsoni 24 

maritimus 25 
Appendix 79 
Bay-winged Sparrow 35 
Black Snow Bird 60 
Black throated Bunting 9 
Blue Grosbeak 79 
Brewer's Sparrow 7 J 
Calearius 

laponieus 38 

omatus 80 
Calomospica bicolor 80 • 
Carpodicus purpureus 53 
Casual visitors 79 



Chestnut-collared Long- 
spur 80 
Chondestes grammacus 20 
Coccothrustes vespertina 57 
Cotumiculus passerina 27 
Crossbills 49 
Dedication iii 

English Sparrow 81 
European Goldfinch 81 

Evening Grosbeak 57 

Family characters 1 

Field Sparrow 14 

Fox Sparrow 68 

Goldfinches 42 

Grass Sparrows 31 

Greater Bed-poll 48 

Ground Buntings 70 

Guriaca caerulea 79 

Hahia lucloviciana 73 

Henslow's Sparrow 29 

Hoary Redpoll 48 

HolboelFs Redpoll 48 

Hypothetical species 81 

Indigo Bird 76 

Introduced species 81 

Introduction v 

Junco hyemalis 60 



94 INDEX. 

Lapland Longspur 38 
Lark Bunting 80 
Lark Finch 20 
Lincoln's Sparrow 65 
Longspurs 38 
Loxia 

americana 49 

leucoptera 51 
Marsh Sparrows 22 
Melospiza 62 

fasciata 62 

georgiana 66 

lincolni 65 
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Spar- 
row 24 
Painted Sparrow 75 
Passerculus princeps 33 

savanna 31 
Passer domesticus 81 
Passerina cyanea 76 
Passerella iliaca 68 
Pine Grosbeak 55 
Pine Siskin 44 
Pinicola enuclator 55 
Pipilo erythropthalmus 70 
Plectrophenax nivalis 40 
Poocaetes gramineus 36 
Prairie Sparrows 20 
Purple Finch 53 
Redpoll 46 
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 73 



Rosy Finches 53 
Rufus Sparrows 67 
Savannah Sparrow 31 
Sharp-tailed Sparrow 22 
Silk Bunting 9 
Snow Bird 60 
Snow Bunting 40 
Song Grosbeaks 73 
Song Sparrow 62 
Spinus pinus 44 
Spinus tristis 42 
Spiza americana 9 
Spizella 

breweri 79 

monticola 13 

pusilla 14 

socialis 10 
Swamp Sparrow 66 
Synopsis 83 
Tree Sparrow 13 
True Sparrows 10 
Towhee 70 
Vesper Sparrow 36 
White-crowned Sparrow 19 
White-throated Sparrow 16 
White-winged Crossbill 51 
Yellow-winged Sparrow 27 
Zone-throated Sparrows 16 
Zonotrachia 

albicoilis 16 

leucophrys 19 






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